


Gifted Beings

by allonsysilvertongue



Category: Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, X-Men (Movieverse)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - X-Men Fusion, Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-03-31
Updated: 2017-02-19
Packaged: 2018-05-30 07:52:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 37,943
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6415231
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allonsysilvertongue/pseuds/allonsysilvertongue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Katniss Everdeen had no control over her powers. Haymitch Abernathy faced unspoken horrors in his youth because of it and wanted nothing more than to dull his abilities. When they met Effie Trinket, she might just be able to help them by showing Katniss, with the help of other gifted beings, what she is capable of.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote a one-shot but I've decided to do a multi-chapter for this instead.

**Chapter 1**

Haymitch was fifteen years old when he realised something was wrong. His mind was buzzing and there was a constant dull ache at the front of his skull which was becoming a new normal for him. The words coming out from his mother’s mouth was not the same as what he was _hearing_. And it wasn’t only her. It was his brother. It was his girl, his neighbours, his friends.

“You’re not doing as well as expected, Haymitch,” a teacher once said. “This isn’t the kind of grades I expect coming from you.”

_You’re lazy. A lazy boy is hopeless even if he is smart._

With a jolt, he realise that it was his teacher’s thoughts that he heard, thoughts that his teacher kept to herself and would never say out loud.

He began to pay careful attention to people, the things they say and the things he heard in his head.

He was sixteen years old when Capitol Corporation came for him, took him away from his family and placed him in a room with forty-eight other children to test their abilities. _This one’s a telepath,_ he was told and that was the first time he learnt the name for it.

Haymitch knew everything those people meant to do to him and the other children. He could _hear_ their thoughts.

He remembered those kids that were with him dying. He remembered some of them succumbing to the tests and he would too if it wasn’t for a boy his age who left the door unlocked at night. Plutarch Heavensbee with his ability to manipulate people’s perception had let him escape. Haymitch would never forget that name.

He escaped and collapsed with his guts in his hands. He spent two weeks recuperating in Mag’s house, a woman who Plutarch had manipulated into helping him. She was kind and gentle, and Haymitch left in the dead of the night as soon as he could stand because he didn’t want Mags to be in danger. When he got home, his mother was dead as was his brother.

Snow’s soldiers were waiting for him. He was the example. That was Snow’s message. There were other children taken in year after year, and only the strongest of them survive the experiments. Haymitch was helpless to do anything but each time he found a kid with abilities just like his, he send them Plutarch’s way before Snow could get to them.

That was until Katniss Everdeen.

She wouldn’t leave her mother or her sister behind and her powers were volatile, but there was something fierce in her, something that reminded Haymitch of himself.

He fell back into his old ways, the easy way to make money. He had done it countless time to get food on the table for his mother and brother, and it was something he was still good at. It nagged at him to cheat people off their money but he always made sure those people had more money than they knew what to do with it.

Haymitch never asked to be born with this telepathic ability. He never wanted to be able know what people are thinking because it was both a blessing and a curse but his mutation was a part of him and he might as well use it.

So here he was sitting in the café, bidding his time and keeping a close watch on the couple seated across from him.

The moment the man excused himself to go to the washroom, Haymitch stood up and dropped on the recently vacated seat. Startled, the woman who was his target raised her head.

She was beautiful; blue sparkling eyes, plump red lips and smooth pale skin that he was itching to run his finger across. Her hair fell in curls around her shoulders and his eyes were drawn to the pearl necklace adorning her neck.

“That seat is occupied. Can I help you?”

"He's cheatin' on you," Haymitch said without preamble.

The woman frowned. "Excuse me? I believe you have the wrong person."

"I said he's cheatin' on you and I ain’t wrong. I know."

"Who are you?” the frown deepened and he detected a hint of irritation in her voice. “It is extremely rude to sit without being invited and ruder still to make such accusation about someone you hardly know."

Haymitch tilted his head to the side, studied her and shrugged. "Just tellin’ you somethin’ I thought was in your best interest to know. Could tell you more but information don’t come cheap, you get what I mean, yeah?"

"I'm sorry?" the woman sputtered.

 _Effie Trinket_. That was her name.

"I'm beginning to think you're a bit hard on hearin’, sweetheart. How much money you got on you?"

"That is none of your concern how much money I carry! You are an odd sort of robber," she remarked, surprisingly calm.

He smirked. "Give me somethin’ and I'll tell you the woman's name."

"Why would I do that?"

"Come on," he drawled. "Aren't you the least bit curious? Your man's cheatin’ on you and I'm here tellin' you I know the woman's name and that he's in the washroom right now answerin' a call from her," he said and she gasped, her eyes drifting to where Seneca Crane had just disappeared to.

Haymitch cocked his head, concentrating and the dull ache which had magnified into a throbbing pain. He hated crowded place because of this reason. Everyone’s thoughts are in his head.

"He's planning to meet her _tonight_ after he's dropped you off. Hell, sweetheart, I know where she stays."

"What are you? How do you know all that? Are you a spy?"

He couldn’t help the laughter and she looked mildly offended. A spy… That was a first.

"Me? I'm a hypnotist," he lied, sliding his name card that he had made himself as a cover. "So, what's it going to be? Time’s runnin’ out and he’s gonna be back soon."

She looked torn between her distrust for him and the need to know. She cast a glance towards the direction of the restroom again before asking, "Who is she?"

Haymitch leaned back, a slow grin spreading across his face. He got her.

"Pandora Flickerman, she's - "

"Caesar Flickerman's daughter. I know who she is," she interrupted with a scowl. "Tonight you said? At her place?"

"Yeah," Haymitch nodded, "so...."

Without a word, the woman took off a wad of bills and handed it to him. Haymitch grinned and winked.

“What else can you tell me?”

“He’s gonna propose to you, but he’s not willing to let her go. Talk about having a cake and eating it, too,” he chuckled. “Word of advice, sweetheart, drop him. I think you can find someone better, yeah?”

“You never told me how you knew,” Effie bit her lip.

“Hypnotized him on his way over here,” Haymitch lied and his stomach clenched. He didn’t want to lie to this woman whose heart was breaking right in front of his eyes. “Pretty easy to get the information outta him. Sorry, sweetheart, but I got people relyin’ on me and I gotta feed ‘em.”

He didn’t know why he was explaining it to her but he just needed her to understand that he didn’t mean any malice by his actions.

"Don't mess up that pretty face of yours in a cat fight," he gave her a mock salute and disappeared.

Haymitch left the restaurant and crossed the street where Katniss was waiting. Her hands were jammed inside the pockets of her leather jacket and he knew they were clenched tight in a fist to quell the fire dancing on her fingertips.

"So?" Katniss asked.

“Got it - hustled three hundred dollars from her," Haymitch grinned and gave Katniss half of her share. "Go on, take it home. Feed you family."

That should last them both a few weeks before they had to find another victim to swindle his or her money.

Alone at home, the scene in the restaurant played like a broken record in his mind. He couldn’t shake the image of Effie’s face. He clenched his jaws. He could have tried to sell her some other information. It didn’t have to be about her boyfriend cheating on her.

_Better she find out now than when they’re married._

Haymitch grabbed a bottle of whiskey and collapsed on his sofa. He drank until the chorus of voices in his head dulled and his eyelids grew heavy. He must have only just fallen asleep when he felt a presence. Opening his eyes, he saw someone standing in front of him.

He jumped out of the sofa but his movements were sluggish, and the bottle slipped from his fingers onto the floor.

"Hello, Haymitch. Did I startle you? My apologies," Effie said but the gleam in her eyes told him that she was enjoying it.

"What are you – how did you get in here?"

"Oh," she waved her hand nonchalantly, "the same way you sold me that information."

"I don’t fuckin’ know what you mean.”

"Don’t you?” she raised a dubious eyebrow. “You're not a hypnotist the same way that I am not just me. We are so much more than that.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? How did you find me, woman?”

Effie glanced around, taking in the condition of his house.

 _It’s in disrepair,_ she thought quietly to herself but Haymitch heard her just fine. _It’s a mess._

“Plutarch Heavensbee helped me to locate you so here I am. I don’t think we’ve introduced ourselves. I'm Effie Trinket," she extended her hand.

"I know who you are. It still doesn't explain how – my doors and windows are locked."

"Yes," Effie nodded. "You are a little paranoid if I must say so myself. Everything is double locked."

He had a good reason for doing so. Snow’s soldiers had been in his house years ago.

_Snow._

Haymitch pulled his knife from the waistband of his trousers and took a threatening step forward.

"How did you get in?" he growled. "Answer me or - "

He sucked in a breath when her hand fluttered up to his cheek and passed right through him. She grinned at him the same way he had after he hustled her.

"Plutarch calls this 'Quantum Tunnelling'," Effie explained. "Simply put, I can move through solid objects. A locked door has never stopped me before."

"You're one – You're..."

"Just like you," she smiled. "Special."

"Mutant," he retorted.

" _Special_ ," Effie insisted. "You have a kid with ability, too. Why did you not send Katniss Everdeen to Plutarch?"

"What do you want with her?"

"We have a school and - "

"Yeah I’ve heard 'bout that school. Plutarch tried to recruit me into that school ten years ago. I told Plutarch he’s crazy putting them all in one place together. That’s what Snow did to _us._ If he finds out those children are together, it makes ‘em an easy target."

"Those children need to learn to control their abilities. That’s what that school does. That’s what those children you sent to him are doing – they’re learning so they won’t be a danger to society."

"Katniss ain’t going there. She doesn’t want to. I'm teachin’ her. Everything’s under control here – you can go back and tell Plutarch that. I’ve got it under control."

"Do you? Plutarch told me that he’s has been keeping an eye on you and on Katniss and _she_ doesn’t have her power under control, Haymitch. She accidentally set fire to her district. That’s why you moved her out here in this abandoned ranch. What about you? You spent days in bed nursing a headache because it’s becoming unbearable for you as the days went by to hear people’s thoughts all the time.”

"Maybe it's all the liquor I'm drinking," he said, refusing to admit the truth to her.

 _Stubborn,_ he heard her think. _Why did Plutarch think I can convince him is beyond me…_

He narrowed his eyes at her, suddenly suspicious.

"When I sat across from you this evening and told you that your boyfriend is cheating on you, do you already know about me?"

"No," Effie answered truthfully. "I didn’t know who you are but I suspected that you couldn't be a hypnotist. No one could possibly be that good because your information checked out. After Seneca sent me home, I waited for half an hour then I took a taxi to _her_ house. I walked in on them. I gave them quite a fright. After that was over, I went to Plutarch. Imagine my surprise when I told him what happened and he easily narrowed it down to you."

"Good for you," he said, bored. "Look, I ain't interested. Turn around and leave."

"We can help you,” she implored. He crossed his arm stubbornly. “Haymitch, when my abilities first started showing, there were times when I walked and I fell right through the floor, half of my body buried. The school has helped me tremendously and I’m teaching there now."

"Like I said, sweetheart, good for you."

"Please refrain from calling me by pet names."

Haymitch tossed her a look.

"Why's that? At some point, you thought I have very _beautiful, metallic grey eyes._ Your words, not mine. So I'm feeling a certain attraction on your part building up," _and mine,_ he thought which he wisely kept to himself because hot or not, he refused to step into the school for gifted people.

Effie pursed her lips.

"I see that this conversation is getting nowhere but I thought you should know that if you are able to control your abilities, you'll be able to hone in on a particular's person thoughts effortlessly. You can _read_ their thoughts instead of just _hearing_ them.”

“What? Like there’s a difference?”

“You would know if you let the people in the school teach you how. Right at this second, you're hearing mine in a jumble mess with others. You don’t have to tell me I’m wrong because I’m not. Don't you want to know what else I've been thinking about you?"

If the look on his face was anything to go by, she had him where she wanted him.

"Goodnight, Haymitch," she said triumphantly and walked right through the walls of his living room and into the cold night.

He had a feeling this would not be the last he see of her and if he was honest, Katniss needed help.


	2. Chapter 2

** Chapter 2 **

_Quantum tunnelling,_ he scoffed.

He staggered towards the window to make sure the bolt was in place and for good measure, rattled it to be certain that the window would hold. He did this for each window and then the door, although, in retrospect, if Snow truly wanted him dead, Haymitch was sure one of the Peacekeepers would have the abilities to easily unbolt all the locks.

Peacekeepers, he thought, was a truly ironic name for a group of genetically altered humans who caused destruction simply because their ability to rationalise and commit to critical thinking had been repressed during one of Snow's sinister experiments so they simply follow orders to the letter.

He had just opened another bottle when there was a knock on the door, and not the polite kind either. Someone was pounding incessantly which could only mean that it was Katniss. With a grunt he placed the bottle down with more force than necessary.

Haymitch peered through the peep hole to see her standing on the other side. Her brows were furrowed together, her shoulder tensed. It made him wary.

"Tell me somethin' only you would know, girl."

"What? Why are you actin' all paranoid?" she grumbled.

“Come on, Katniss, it’s in the middle of the night.”

“ _You are a strangely dislikeable person but you do have your virtues’._ You told me that a week ago when I – “

“Yeah, alright,” he granted and began unlocking the door.

"Why didn't you just read my mind?"

He supposed that would have been a more fail-proof method but he didn't want to. It was intrusive and it didn't feel right to knowingly sift through people's mind. If pushed to it, he might but in the given circumstances, it wasn't a necessary move, and like Effie Trinket pointed out earlier, he couldn't exactly hone his abilities to read a specific thought from a specific individual.

"You think someone might shape-shift into me?" Katniss asked as she walked into his house. "We've been careful. You said so yourself. Nobody will find us."

His thoughts drifted to Effie who had simply just waltz in without a hitch, and to Plutarch who according to Effie had been keeping tabs on him and Katniss.  

“Someone apparently did,” he muttered.

Katniss’ eyes widened. “Are we in danger?”

“No," he walked back to his arm chair and collapsed on it.

At least, he could say that with confidence. Plutarch was a thorn in his side but he wouldn't knowingly put him in danger.

Katniss kicked an empty bottle out of the way and sunk into his threadbare sofa. He waited but the girl merely stared at her mud stained shoes.

"What do you want?"

Katniss cast a furtive glance at him. Slowly she pulled out her hands from the pocket of her jacket and unfurled her fingers. The fire dance on the edge of her fingertips like it had earlier this afternoon but brighter.

"I had to get away from the house," she whispered. "I don't want to – I don't want them hurt."

"So you think it's okay to come here and burn my house down?" he chuckled.

She blinked and then glared at him.

"It's not getting better, Haymitch," she sounded desperate. "I can feel it burning inside of me. I can't repress it."

"You ain't concentrating hard enough."

That only seemed to anger her further. "Not concentrating hard enough? I am afraid to go to sleep, Haymitch! I _can't_ sleep. I'll slip and everything will burn – my house, your house. What if I lose control the way I did before? I'll lose Prim and mum and ... you."

He was running out of ideas with Katniss. They were both getting desperate and the danger now wasn't Snow. It was Katniss. He pinched the bridge of his nose.

"The woman I hustled this afternoon... She's one of us."

"What?!"

_She's coming for us. That's what he's getting at. I need to get Prim away. I need to -_

"Calm down, Katniss," he raised his voice, a hand pressed against his temple. "I can _hear_ you."

"Did you know?"

"That she's like us? Hell no. I wouldn't have if I'd known."

"So..."

"She figured it out. Said I couldn't have been a hypnotist. She found us."

"How? _"_ Katniss demanded. "How, Haymitch?"

"She had a little help."

"Haymitch!"

"Look, you know by now that there are others like you and me," Haymitch started. He might as well tell her. "Kids like you."

She blinked, her fingers curling on the arm of the sofa. The smell of burning cloth began to fill the air. He stared at her fingers pointedly and she quickly retracted her hands with a mumbled apology.

"There's a school," he went. "For mutants. I know the guy who's heading the school. He helped me escaped years ago."

Katniss shifted. She was curious to know more about what happened to him but ultimately decided it didn't matter.

"This school... What does it do?"

"It's a school, sweetheart. What do you think it does? It gives you an education. It helps you learn 'bout your powers, how to use it, how to control it so you won't be a danger."

"Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?" Katniss demanded and he could see the spark of anger in the girl's eyes.

"Because you didn't want to leave your family behind. What do you think will happen, Katniss? They'll take you _and_ them?" He jerked his head to where her house was. "I didn't think it was a good idea to bring all these mutant kids together in a place where Snow can easily get to."

"He hasn't gotten to it."

"Yet," Haymitch pointed.

"So why are you telling me this now?"

"Cause maybe you want to consider your options. Look, kid, your powers are growing and I ain't qualified to help you anymore. You know that mutants are classified based on their powers? The more powerful you are, the highest your ranking is and you - "

"What level are you in?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Doesn't matter. You gotta think about Prim and your mother."

"I am thinking about them. Why do you think I'm here?" Katniss scowled. "If I go to this school .... What will happen to them? Will Snow - "

"Plutarch – he's the one managing the school – will have contacts. He'll make arrangements to keep your family safe."

"I need you to be sure."

"I can talk to him," Haymitch grunted.

"I can see this place before I decide on anything, right?"

"Yeah, sure," he shrugged. "Listen, Katniss, I thought I could help you. I'm a shitty mentor and I - "

"No, you've helped a lot," Katniss admitted. "You've kept me and my family alive. You helped when mum couldn't. Yeah, you're drunk and all, but you've helped. I guess things sometimes go out of control, right? That's what's happening with me. If I go, it will be for them," Katniss said softly. "I want my mother and sister safe. I want Prim safe."

"You can still visit them. Plutarch will allow it. We can just check it out, Katniss. You don't have to enrol."

"What about you? If I go, what will you do?"

He didn't need to hear Katniss' unspoken thoughts to know the girl was worried for him.

"Plutarch's been after me for years. He wants me there to teach. Who knows? We'll see. Maybe I'll hang around."

"Will I put those people there in danger?"

He laughed. When he had heard about Plutarch had built, it occurred to him the school was a ticking time-bomb. Countless children with powers beyond their control living together seemed like a terrible idea but somehow Plutarch made it work.

XxX

Travelling with Katniss could be emotionally daunting. The girl was sullen and brooded most of the time. He wanted nothing more than to leave and drink in peace but he had given his word to Primrose that he would keep an eye on Katniss until he was certain she was in a safe place.

To say he was relieved to finally arrive at District Thirteen would be an understatement.

District Thirteen was a sprawling compound but for as far as the eyes could see, there were no buildings.

“Where is it?”

“Underground,” Haymitch muttered. “It’s safer.”

Katniss looked sceptical as they walked further in. The only indication that there was a school on this ground was the scattered group of people within the compound; children and teenagers in groups of two or three, running and laughing, walking and talking with each other.

Haymitch was as enthralled as Katniss was. He had never seen such blatant display of powers and abilities. Plutarch was not being discrete.

Katniss ducked when a tall young man sent a stream of water flying in front of them. His target was clear; a dark haired girl who had just darted into the corner.

“Watch it,” Katniss snapped.

He turned and grinned at them. He was handsome with tanned skin, glossy hair and a pair of bright sea-green eyes.

“Sorry about that. Didn’t see you walking – “ he paused and regarded Haymitch carefully. “Hey! I haven’t seen or heard from you in a long time.”

“Finnick,” Haymitch nodded at him when he placed the familiar face to one of his memories.

Finnick tossed another wolfish grin and clapped Haymitch on his shoulder.

“Are you here to visit? You’ve never visited before. Or are you staying?” Finnick asked and peered over at Katniss. “Who might you be?”

Katniss frowned and Haymitch nudged her.

“Katniss,” she mumbled.

“Nice to meet you, Katniss,” Finnick offered his hand.

Katniss stared, refusing to take her own hand out of her pocket.

“She can’t,” Haymitch said simply.

“How did you know Haymitch?” Katniss asked.

“He sent Plutarch to extract me,” Finnick replied at the same time that his hand flew out. A jet of water shot out from his palm and hit the woman he had been chasing earlier square in her chest. He laughed. “Got you, Jo!”

“Where is Plutarch?” Haymitch asked.

“In his office, I guess. You know,” he tapped his chin and let his eyes roam over Katniss. “You seem very familiar. I think I’ve seen you before.”

“I don’t know you.”

“I don’t know you either but I’ve seen you.”

“You aren’t telepathic or shit like that. Cut the crap, Finnick,” Haymitch snapped.

Finnick was undeterred.

“There’s someone you should meet,” he started walking faster. “Sugar cube?”

Katniss declined the treat, as did Haymitch. They followed him towards the entrance. The heavy metal door creaking slightly as it was pushed inwards and then it closed behind them with a clang.

The change was sudden. The air felt heavier and so much more humid. The lights from the mounted lamps were bright to chase away the underground darkness. That wasn’t the worse of it. The pressure on the base of Haymitch’s skull began to build until it grew into a pounding pain on his temple. His head was noisy. It was terribly chaotic. He pressed a hand against his ears, another on the wall to steady himself.

“How many people do you have in here?” he heaved.

“Hundreds,” Finnick answered. “Are you okay?”

He was not. He could hear so many things, so many thoughts. He needed some place quiet, some place where he could be alone but that didn’t seem possible so he forced his feet to move, keeping his eyes on the back of Katniss’ boot as he followed them down the winding corridor.

They must have reached their destination because Katniss stopped when Finnick did.

“I knew it. I knew I’ve seen you somewhere, Katniss,” Finnick declared triumphantly.

_It’s happened. She’s here._

Slowly, Haymitch raised his head. That voice was unfamiliar. It didn’t belong to Katniss or Finnick.

He would have noticed the boy if he wasn’t distracted by the painting in front of him. Katniss was gaping at it. Haymitch was staring.

The painting was only nearly completed but it was unmistakeable. The boy was painting them when Finnick brought them in. It was him and Katniss walking through the gates of the compound wearing the clothes they were wearing now.

“This is Peeta Mellark,” Finnick introduced.

Peeta smiled at them sheepishly.

“I know how it must seem like to see a painting of yourself on – “

He never managed to finish his sentence because Katniss had moved. She slammed him against the wall and had her arm pressed against his throat.

"That's me," Katniss growled. "Who are you? Have you been following me? How did you - "

“Is she going to kill him?” Finnick raised an eyebrow. He was watching the flames on Katniss’ fingertips with interest.

Haymitch threw a nasty look at Finnick and moved forward, trying to pull Katniss off the boy only to jump back in surprise.

“Fucking hell,” he shouted.

“Oh, I am terribly sorry!” Effie Trinket stood next to them, looking equally startled. “I had no idea you were going to be standing at that exact place I walked into.”

Her sudden appearance served to cause the intended distraction because Katniss’ hold on the boy had loosened. Haymitch pulled her away.

“That was not very nice, is it Katniss? A lady should not behave that way,” Effie chided. “Are you alright, Peeta?”

“Fine,” he rubbed his throat but it didn’t escape anyone’s notice how he quickly stepped away from Katniss to stand next to Finnick.

“Take him to the infirmary, Finnick,” Effie ordered.

They waited until both boys were gone before Haymitch rounded on Effie.

“What the hell is this?” he gestured at the painting.

“The future… Or rather, the present,” Effie said. “He has vision of what is to come. It helps him tremendously to paint out his visions and clearly, he saw the two of you in them.”

“And has he had any more visions involving me or Katniss?”

“Not to my knowledge,” Effie said simply.

He narrowed his eyes at her, not truly certain if she could be believed.

“I’m glad to see you again, Haymitch,” she smiled at him only for it to falter when she noticed the scrunched up look on his face. “Are you trying to read my thoughts?”

“Hard to when I’m hearing a hundred other fucking voices.”

“Oh, what a relief,” she breathed. “You really do not want to know the thoughts I have about you,” she patted his arm and left the room, beckoning Katniss to follow her.

 

 


	3. Chapter 3

** Chapter 3 **

_Come along, Haymitch. You don't want to get lost in this place. I will have to send a search party – a hassle, if you must know._

Clearly, she thought it would be amusing to project her thoughts to him.

Startled, Haymitch swivelled around.

As expected, he was alone in the room. Effie had left with Katniss seconds earlier. He tried to grasp her thoughts but it was drowned in the muddled thoughts of others in the compound. Haymitch hurried out of the room to catch up with them.

“What was that?” he demanded.

“I’m afraid I cannot read other’s thoughts. You will have to be clearer,” Effie said, a smile lingering on her lips.

“I heard you in my head – loud and clear. _Your_ voice alone.”

Effie glanced at him out of the corner of her eyes. Her eyes sparkled brightly and the smile widened.

“I merely concentrated on you. I wasn’t sure if it would work but it did. You must have had your attention on me for you to be able to pick up my thoughts, and only mine, among the many others in here.”

"What?" his brows crinkled in confusion.

Had he been thinking about her?

"See, Katniss," Effie immediately addressed the young girl. "You've already learnt your fist lesson – attention and concentration. It is of the utmost importance when dealing with the abilities that we have. Try it, Haymitch, concentrate on Katniss, you might be able to hear her thoughts much clearer than the others here."

"I don't want him inside my head!" Katniss protested.

"He will not be _inside_ your head. Tell you what, think of something inconsequential. Something you wouldn’t mind Haymitch knowing. Thoughts are always on the surface of our mind so that will be what Haymitch will glean," Effie spoke softly. "Concentrate on her now, Haymitch."

He and Katniss exchanged a glance and then he shrugged.

“Go on,” he muttered as they continued walking down the hallway.

Katniss frowned and as Effie instructed, Haymitch focused his attention on the girl. He kept his eyes on her and then slowly, the voices in his head dulled and faded into a quite hum in the background. One voice floated front and centre.

 _She's weird._ _She talks with an accent._

It was Katniss' voice as clear as Effie's had been. His facial expression must have changed to reflect his surprise because Effie squealed in delight, assuming that it had indeed worked.  

**_Can't disagree with yo_ ** **_u, kid._ **

Katniss' eyes widened. She stopped dead in her track. "I heard you inside _my_ head!"

"You heard me?" Haymitch blinked.

"You must be quite powerful yourself, Haymitch, to be able to grasp so quickly," Effie remarked. "I am surprised you have never tried to telepathically calm her. I imagined it must be a useful technique. We'll see, all in good time."

"Let a lot telepaths calm you that way, haven't you, sweetheart?"

She shot him a look. "If you must know, you are the first telepath in this compound, the first I've ever met."

Effie led them deeper underground, pointing this way and that as she explained where the hallways led to and the function of several rooms. They passed by the training room, the Command Centre which housed all the systems technology and the Hummingbird Room which according to Effie was Annie Cresta’s favourite room.

“I don’t know who that is,” Katniss mumbled.

“You will soon, I imagined. She’s a friend of Peeta and Finnick.”

“What can the kid do?”

“Only the most remarkable of things,” Effie answered which made Haymitch rolled his eyes as he walked behind her.

Her answer was not at all enlightening.  

“Here we are!” she announced in a chirpy voice.

Behind the door, in the room, was Plutarch Heavensbee. Haymitch had not seen him in years and he had grown…. Sideways, he noted with a snicker. Next to him stood a woman, tall and straight with sharp calculating grey eyes. Her hair was neatly combed and parted, not a strand out of place.

“Who is she?” Haymitch asked, jerking his head in her direction.

“Haymitch, nice to meet you again,” Plutarch extended his hand. “This is Alma Coin. Alma, meet Haymitch Abernathy.”

“He is the telepath, I believe?”

Haymitch narrowed his eyes. He knew nothing about this woman and yet, she knew what he was capable of.

“Such wasted potential,” Coin continued, eyeing him with a note of judgment. She raised a finger to touch the side of her head. A small, glinting metal was attached to her temple.  

Next to him, Effie clasped her hand in front of her and shifted on her feet.

_Haymitch, she’s just attached an electromagnetic device on her temple. You will not be able to read her mind, just as I won’t be able to phase through her._

**_Paranoid,_** he thought hoping Effie picked up on it.  

"You... Let us see what you can do," Coin requested, shifting her attention to Katniss. "Go on."

Haymitch’s hand shot out immediately in front of Katniss, stopping her from doing anything. He had no idea who this woman was but asking Katniss to demonstrate her power in this room would be suicidal. He had no plans to be burnt like a barbeque chicken just because some grey haired woman was curious.

He addressed his question to Plutarch directly, not even bothering to be discreet. “Why do I feel like somethin’ ain’t right?”

“Haymitch,” Plutarch laughed lightly, “come now. There is no need to think the worse of people. We must assess the capabilities that Ms. Everdeen possessed. Let us do that.”

"You know that I'll _know_ if you're using your powers on me, yeah?"

“What powers – “ Effie said only for her to fall quiet again when Plutarch interrupted her.

"Likewise," he tapped his forehead. “I am not trying to manipulate you. Believe me. We are friends, are we not? We have enough respect for each other not to use what we have been gifted with on the other."

"Perhaps, Katniss will be more comfortable with people her own age. It might put her at ease. This might be too… It might be too much for her, too high an expectation. We can take her to the training room. If she feels safe," Effie suggested, “she will be able to control her powers.”

XxX

"You’re holding back. You can make this grow taller, put me up higher, Annie! Come on."

“You will fall,” the brown haired girl replied softly.

The green vines were supporting the weight of a girl with black hair and a red streak on her fringe, and the girl, Annie, was steadily letting the vines grow and twine, becoming thicker and sturdier.

“I won’t fall.”

Katniss walked in one step at a time, taking in the sight of the four teenagers in front of her. The training room was big and it was divided into sections. There were dead lifts, dumbbells and barbells at the furthest end, forming one section. The biggest room with the four occupants was empty. The walls were grey but the metallic tint gave Katniss the impression that there was more to this room than meets the eye.  

“The future did not show me that the fearless Johanna Mason will fall from this,” Peeta added with a teasing smile.

Johanna shot Annie a triumphant look and the girl sighed, letting the vines carry her higher.

“But if you do fall, then – “

Peeta stopped. He had seen her walked in. His sudden silence drew the attention of the others and they turned towards her.

“That’s the girl you’ve been painting,” Annie whispered. “Hello, Katniss Everdeen.”

Katniss froze. She took in each one of them but since none of them seemed threatening to her, she resumed walking, approaching them warily.

“Hey, Katniss,” Finnick sidled up to her. “Didn’t expect to see you here! Introductions are in order, I supposed. This is Annie, the light of my life. That is Johanna Mason, not much of a light to anyone’s life but she could light up things, literally.”

“Don’t make me fry you,” Johanna retorted.

Out of the three of them, Katniss was more guarded with Johanna. There was something dangerous about her, something that put Katniss on edge.  

"You've already met Peeta," Finnick went on. “He’s got no hard feelings about you choking him earlier, so don’t worry.”

Peeta nodded and gave her a warm smile.

"So, newbie, what can you do?" Johanna demanded, jumping down from the vines.

“That’s what they want to know, too,” Katniss nodded her head at the glass window where the four adults were standing and watching them.

"Pyrokinesis," Peeta answered. "She controls fire. I saw it in my vision. Your powers are extraordinary."

Johanna rolled her eyes at Peeta’s comment. Katniss was uncertain on how she should react to that. She did not feel extraordinary about her powers. It might be because of the accident with the whole district and it might also be Haymitch’s attitude towards his own abilities. He repeated quite often about being cursed.

"What exactly did you see?" Katniss asked.

A part of her disliked the idea of this boy whom she barely knew until an hour ago knowing too much about her.

"I saw flashes," Peeta admitted. "Fires on your hand, mostly. Once, I saw the fire in the fireplace ... I – don't know, sort of reaching out to you. I saw the man you were with - Haymitch? - trying to help you. In one of the visions, I saw you and him coming here. That was what I was painting. I’m sorry if it freaks you out."

“We’re all freaks,” Johanna laughed. “You should get used to it.”

“We are special,” Annie said.

“You’ve been listening too much to what Effie tells you,” Johanna retorted. She turned to Katniss once more. “Haymitch picked me up, too. He’s got a habit of doing that. Why’d he keep you? He sent all of us here. What’s so special about you?

"I don't know."

"I'm curious," Johanna said. "Show me."

"You first," Katniss replied.

She was not at all ready to expose herself.

Johanna smirked and then the air cackled. A bolt of electricity shot out of her index finger and into the vines that Annie had grown from the cracks on the floor. The plantation was charred and the smell made Peeta wrinkled his nose. Next to Finnick, Annie sighed at her wasted effort.

The electricity that was still streaming out of Johanna’s fingers shot through a lamp hanging from the ceiling. It caught fire.

“I’ll do something about it,” Finnick said lazily, looking at the ball of water he was controlling on the ground, “but since, you’re fire and all, maybe you should do something, Katniss. Now’s the time – fire is catching.”

She raised her hand without a thought and the flames gravitated towards her. It circled her palm and wound itself around her wrist.

“Does it burn you?” Annie asked curiously.

"No," Katniss stared at the flames.

"Look at that, the girl on fire," Finnick grinned.

Katniss closed her palm and the flames doused.

XxX

“How has Plutarch been keeping track of me or Katniss?” Haymitch asked the question that had been bothering him.

He had his suspicion but he wanted it confirmed.

“Peeta,” Effie answered as they walked down the corridor away from the training room, leaving Katniss to socialise with the others. “When Peeta first had his vision of Katniss, he painted it out. Plutarch worked from there.”

“Thought so,” Haymitch muttered. “That boy of yours – how far into the future can he see?”

“Nobody really knows. His visions do not follow a timeline. It could happen weeks or months from the moment he saw it or it could happen within a few hours.”

“Right. A visionary,” he joked but it fell flat because Effie did not even crack a smile at it.

“What was that earlier with Plutarch?” she asked. "How do you each know if one of you is using your powers against the other?"

“You told me that I was the only telepath you’ve met. I’m guessing, Plutarch never told you what he can do,” Haymitch remarked. “You’re wrong you know. You’ve met two telepaths – him and me.”

"Plutarch cannot read my thoughts or communicate telepathically," she frowned. “I had the impression that he was similar to Alma Coin – normal human beings.”

"No," he chuckled. "See, that’s what _he_ wants _you_ to believe. He's more advanced than just listening in to people’s thoughts. He's able to manipulate perception and reality. Why read people's thoughts when you can manipulate it? Unlike me, he was a willing learner. He learnt a lot from Snow before he defected. That's how he got me out from the Capitol. He manipulated the guards and the scientists."

It seemed to shock her. "How much of what is happening right now is real?" Effie asked.

"Why do you think I never wanted to be here?"

"You said he was a willing learner...” she trailed. “Haymitch, if you put your mind to it – no pun intended – if you learn from Plutarch, you might advance the way he did. You might do so much more."

"I don't want to, sweetheart. I never wanted this."

"You’ve never answered my question. How do you know?"

"I can sense him if he tried to warp something for me and it's the same for him. He'll sense _me_."

"If you can sense, that’s all the more reasons that you should be here,” she insisted. “The rest of us wouldn't be able to know if he's manipulating us. I – “ she glanced behind her, “I don’t trust Coin that much. There is something about her that - ”

She stopped talking abruptly as someone in a grey uniform walked past her.

“I will feel safer talking outside of this compound,” she lowered her voice but it instantly picked up again when she changed the topic. “Plutarch’s not the only one to learn. Do you know who else learnt a lot under Snow?”

He glanced at her. "You?"

"Me, yes," she nodded. "I can teach you."

"Told you, sweetheart,” he shook his head, “I ain't here to learn _or_ stay. I'm here to make sure Katniss' safe and then I'm heading home."

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Leave a comment :)


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

To get out of the compound, they had to take an elevator up. The walk down to the hallway towards the elevator was impeded by children with books clutched to their chest going to their respective classes after the bell rang to signal the end of lunch.

Nothing else was said between them, not with these children present. Some even took the elevator with them. The students smiled brightly when they saw Effie, greeted her and made small talks. At the sight of Haymitch, they regarded him with curiousity, wondering among themselves who this stranger was.

Haymitch held his tongue until they finally emerged from the door to the grounds.

"Who is she?" he asked at once.

"This underground facility belongs to Alma Coin. We have her to thank for this. It is said to be impregnable. We call this Thirteen," she explained. "Plutarch's mansion – you probably remember that place - was destroyed during one of Snow's attack when the Peacekeepers tried to retrieve Peeta in to their custody."

There were so many questions he wanted answers to; questions about Alma Coin, about Thirteen and about that boy, Peeta. He chose instead to focus on the person he felt could be a potential problem.

"What does Coin do? You said she's normal… _human_ ," Haymitch frowned. "So why is she giving her compound to mutants like us? Why does she even have a facility like this in the first place?"

_So many questions… What can I tell him? Can I trust him…? He did bring Katniss here. He's been keeping the children from Snow. If there's one thing I can be certain of, he's not on Snow's side, not with the Capitol._

Haymitch said nothing to the thoughts he heard coming from her.

"We have a common goal," Effie explained. "Coin is looking for a cure to solve the Peacekeeper problems. The Peacekeepers have been our problem for years, Haymitch. They're hunting every one of our kids."

"Yeah, I know," he mumbled, "they took me in."

To be more accurate, they had _snatched_ him from his home when he was sixteen but he left it at that. He had no desire to delve into his past.

"What's your story, sweetheart? Capitol took you in, too?"

Effie looked away.

"Ah, defected," he concluded and paused, waiting for her to deny it. "Like Plutarch."

"Yes," she sighed. "We are working with Coin and her people because we all want to stop Capitol Corporation from harming any more children. We need to put an end to this. Do you know what they are doing, Haymitch?"

"From experience, somethin' terrible, I bet."

He wondered if she knew _his_ story; what they did to him, the other children who were with him and the children who perished, Plutarch's role in his escape, his family…

"He has gone beyond just taking young children with abilities but also children who have never before displayed any signs of genetic evolution - _normal_ children, young children as young as five years old – and the Capitol are putting them through intense stress with the goal of manifesting the power. They believe that stressful environmental trigger will cause genetic evolution to happen faster, the need to survive will cause abilities to surface. It was all theoretical until they started testing their hypothesis."

"Fuck," he ran a hand agitatedly through his hair.

It was even worse that he thought.

"They call it the Mutation Evolution Program. They labelled these experimental children Mutts. _Mutts,_ " she spat angrily, "as if they are some kind of animals."

Effie walked next to him, body tensed and footsteps pounding the ground angrily.

"Effie…"

"It was just a rumour. It seemed too far-fetched. I never believed it myself. I never thought the Capitol would be capable of such atrocity until… Peeta told me about it. He confirmed it for me."

His head snapped towards her and he fixed her with a look.

"He was one of them? Is he _dangerous?_ I left Katniss in there with him, Effie."

"No," she tossed him a glare as if she took offense at his question. "He was not one of them. He was born with the abilities, like you and me and Katniss, but he witnessed the program. That was how he knew. Snow made him watch it. He has never truly recovered from that horror."

"Yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "We survive, sweetheart, but we never leave that place, not really. It's always there, in here," he tapped his temple, "at nights, in dark corners."

Effie nodded. "Peeta lost his leg in an experiment. Snow cut it off to amplify his powers under extremely stressful condition similar to the Mutation Program. Did you notice it? He is on prosthetic."

"Why? You said he was born with abilities."

"Peeta has visions of the future. Snow wants that but he wants a better version, a stronger, powerful Peeta that is completely under his control. He wants him to be able to see everything, to be able to tell him everything. Can you imagine what knowing the future would do for Snow or the Capitol? He would be able to anticipate our every move. No one should have that much power."

"Who got the boy out?"

"I did," Effie admitted. "He told me that he saw me helping him in one of his visions. He pleaded with me to help him and I – I know it was wrong what Snow was doing. I just didn't know what I could do until Peeta pushed me into it. I got him away and we came here. I've never looked back since."

"And Crane? He's one of Snow's. If you've already gotten out why were you still dating him?"

Her eyes widened and she stopped in her track.

_Seneca?_

"You didn't know," Haymitch chuckled. "Sweetheart, you need to be careful with the company you keep. Plutarch never told you what he could do, and you trusted him. You trusted Crane. Be careful who you trust – it's gonna get you kill someday."

_Was Seneca only using me? Was he -_

"What about you?"

She tilted her head to the side and watched him. Her eyes were bright and blue, and it was the same shade as the sky above them. His gaze flickered upwards as he compared the two.

"What about me?"

"Can I trust you? Are you good company for me to keep?"

He gave her a half-smile.

"Said it already didn't I, sweetheart? I ain't staying and you definitely shouldn't trust me."

He resumed walking, wondering how far more she would walk with him. The entrance to the underground compound was already far behind them.

"You could get into my head," Effie laid a hand on his arm, and he stopped. "You could get into my head and make me do what you want. You haven't done that. You didn't, and I don't think you ever would. That's a good enough reason for me to trust you."

"It's not a question of whether I want to get into your head or not, it's whether I can, and I _can't_. I never bothered honing my powers," he reminded her.

"Try," she said softly.

His brows furrowed together and he pursed his lips.

"No," he pulled his hand free.

"Try it on me."

"I won't," he scowled.

"Haymitch," she stepped in front him to block his path. "It could save your life. If Snow's men come for you, you can get in their heads and send them away. It's okay – try it on me."

He stared at her.

"Concentrate on me," she went on as if all his protesting meant nothing. "It's better up here, isn't it? There's less noise for you."

She took his hand and brought it up to her cheek. He sucked in a breath and gently brushed his thumb over her cheek, mesmerised that she would willingly let him touch her or get inside her head.

"Go on," she encouraged, "go on, Haymitch."

He was afraid to breathe. He had no idea what to expect. He had never done this before. What if he destroyed her? What if he couldn't find a way out of her mind and ruined her, leave her in a mess? There were so many things that could go wrong and yet, he locked gaze with her, feeling himself slowly getting lost in her eyes.

When he finally slipped inside, leaving the surrounding behind, it felt like plunging head first down a cliff. He had no bearing and he felt like drowning.

Memories floated past him. He saw Effie as a young girl and a teenager with her family. He saw her in Snow's office. He saw her standing in front of Peeta with his legs bleeding and cut off on the knee. He saw her in Crane's bed. The way she smiled at him, the way she reached out for him. It made _him_ wish that there was someone who would look at him that way.

Haymitch saw her in Crane's house the night he and Katniss swindled her money, the way she stood up to Crane and the woman made him proud, a feeling he couldn't really explain. She was fearless but being inside her head enable him to _feel_ her emotions and he knew now that her heart was broken, that she was upset but chose instead to focus her energy on teaching the children in this school.

_Concentrate._

It was different. Her voice was more amplified, and it resonated.

**_Am I in your head or are you in mine?_ **

_That's an interesting question to consider,_ she laughed. _Make me do something._

**_I don't know how._ **

_Let's focus on what you want me to do._

**_How about you kiss me?_** he teased.

_Be serious now._

**_You're right,_** he chuckled. ** _I want you to kiss me on your own free will._**

_What makes you think I want to kiss you?_

**_Can't resist someone as dashing as me._ **

_You think too highly of yourself. Now, focus, and make me do something._

It was disconcerting to be in her mind and yet see her physically standing in front of him, rolling her eyes at him.

**_There is a pebble in front of my foot. Pick it up._ **

Effie blinked, and he knew it didn't work because he could _feel_ her resisting.

**_Don't hurt my ego, sweetheart. Pick up the pebble._ **

XxX

"This is your room," Annie showed Katniss.

Katniss looked around the room. It was a mere compartment, devoid of colours except grey. There was a bunk bed at the corner of her room and a study table at the foot of the bed. Johanna pushed her aside and flopped down on the bed.

"Where are yours?" Katniss asked.

"Two doors from you down the hall, I share a room with Annie," Johanna answered as she pulled something attached under the bed before tossing it in Katniss' direction, "and this is your uniform. If you can't fit in it, go down to laundry and someone will fix it for you."

"I think Effie will give your timetable soon. I can't find her," Finnick said. "I think she's sending Haymitch off."

"Did you say goodbye to Haymitch?" Peeta asked softly as he hovered near the door.

"No," Katniss shook her head. "We don't do goodbyes. I guess he'll call me or I'll call him."

"I'm really glad you're here, Katniss," Peeta told her earnestly. "You'll accomplish great things."

She gave him the side-eye. "Did you see that in your vision too?"

"Maybe," he said cryptically, "but I know you'll be great here anyway."

Johanna rolled her eyes and made a gagging sound. "Did you two get together in your vision or something? You need to tell me so I'll know to stay away from the whole lot of you and find new friends. As if Finnick and Annie aren't bad enough," she muttered.

Peeta blushed. Katniss looked away with a frown, visibly uncomfortable with Johanna's question.

Finnick cleared his throat. "I think we should let Katniss rest. It has been a crazy day for her."

Johanna shot out of bed and was the first out of the door followed by Finnick. Peeta trailed after him only to glance behind him.

"If you need anything, you can always ask us," he offered to which Katniss nodded.

Annie was the last to leave. Her hand hovered over the corner of the study table and slowly, roots began to sprout from the cracks of the table. Katniss watched it grow with fascination until the bunch of flowers became apparent to her.

"Primroses," Katniss breathed.

"I thought it will brighten your room for you," Annie smiled kindly and went to join the others still lingering at her door.

She wasn't sure if Annie knew anything about Prim but seeing the flowers that was Prim's namesake made her feel a pang of longing for her sister.

She had to remind herself that she was here for Prim and that she was here to keep Prim safe.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haymitch is in Effie's head! :) And Katniss is settling in. Leave a review and let me know what you think.
> 
> A/N: As mentioned in The Corner Shop, there won't be an update next week as I won't be in Singapore.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For not updating last week, you get a long chapter today! :)

 

**Chapter 5**

Katniss felt suffocated.

It had little to do with the fact that the school was underground and more to the lifestyle in Thirteen. Every minute was counted for and every hour was assigned for a particular set of activity.

Her day would start at seven in the morning. She would have her timetable imprinted on her wrist; breakfast followed by lessons, a break for lunch, more lessons, dinner and homework thereafter before finally, she would be allowed some 'reflection' time before going to bed.

Life with her family and Haymitch was never like this. It was nothing like this. Her time was not accounted for. She was free to hunt, to take a walk with Prim and to accompany Haymitch on their usual run for money.

The first week that she was in school, Katniss had no problem with the 'normal' lessons, a term Finnick used to describe the boring subjects they had to study – mathematics, sciences, languages and other electives. There were the physical education - the lessons on self-defense and offense, and learning to control their abilities – for two hours each day. Finnick and Johanna enjoyed these lessons tremendously but not so much for Katniss. She was always wary of her fire going out control.

Effie was always there to assure her again and again that she would learn to control it.

"Don't be afraid," Effie had told her. "Don't be afraid of who you are."

She found these encouragements tiresome after a while. It was not that Katniss hated Effie. She didn't. Effie was just different than the sort of people Katniss associated herself with. Effie held herself to some standard and was very particular about manners. She came from a place of high society whereas Katniss and Haymitch… Well, they had to swindle Effie of _her_ money, so there was that history to take into account, too.

Effie taught Architecture. Katniss had her own opinion on that particular subject. It was more for the students' interest than any real need to prepare them for what was out there. Katniss took it because Haymitch thought it would be amusing, and because he wanted Katniss under Effie's watch.

Effie was also the school's counsellor. She was the one student approached if they miss home and needed someone to talk to.

It was no surprise that Effie became a mentor to her in place of Haymitch. As much as Katniss got along better with Haymitch, Effie was undoubtedly nice in her own peculiar way. She was always delivering news from home to Katniss, keeping her updated on Prim and her mother. The news, Effie said, came from Haymitch. Katniss had only spoken to Haymitch once over the phone since she enrolled and firmly believed that he had forgotten he even had a phone. So sometimes, she did wonder how Haymitch relayed any news to Effie.

"Let's try again, Katniss," Effie laid a hand on her arm. "I believe you can do it. Another round of practice and you should be able to hit the target. Let's focus now."

Katniss scowled.

Where Haymitch would insult and throw a snide comment, Effie was always ready with words of motivation. It was not something Katniss was used to and it made her uncomfortable.

Katniss stepped on to the platform. There was a board with a red target painted in the middle. It was quite a distance away and her aim for the past half an hour was to direct her flame directly and gently towards the red mark.

She curled her fist and took a breath before she took the shot. The entire board went up in flames.

"You're getting closer. Focus on the red target," Effie encouraged.

"When do I get to join them again?" Katniss asked, nodding towards the others.

Katniss had been placed together in a training squad with Johanna, Peeta, Finnick and Annie. The first day of her lesson, Effie had stressed the importance of a support system and they were to be hers just as she was to be theirs while they were all here in Thirteen. They trained and took lessons together, and were under the direct supervision of Boggs and Effie even if the latter spent most of her time during physical education watching their exercise, controlling the equipment and giving words of encouragement from the watch booth.

At the moment, Katniss had been taken aside for private practice with Effie while Boggs supervise the others in the training pod at the Danger Room. They were having more fun than she was.

"In due time," Effie assured. "You'll be able to join them on simulated missions once we have covered the basics of your training."

Missions seemed to be taking it too far. Those were training missions - simulated scenarios of possible danger – but the four of them seemed to be enjoying themselves more than taking their 'missions' seriously.

"Very well, take a five minutes' break," Effie gave in when she saw that Katniss was distracted.

Katniss was quick to take the break and wandered over to the training pod and up to the watch booth where Boggs' was. She watched them. They were deflecting firing projectiles, escaping from booby traps that Boggs had set up and working their way out of mechanical dangers. Today, it was two walls slowly pressing against them from each side.

Annie had grown multiple vines rapidly and once they were sturdy, the others were quick to use it to climb over the walls. That was smart. Katniss gave her that.

"Good job, Annie," Boggs' voice boomed from the booth. "What do you think of that, Katniss?"

At the mention of her name, Annie turned towards the watch booth and caught her gaze. Katniss forced a smile. She could feel Peeta watching her. When she turned to him, he averted his gaze.

The four of them barely had time to take a breath when five Peacekeepers approached them. Katniss kept her eyes on the Peacekeepers, tracking their move as they approached the four teenagers.

They were simulations. She knew they were not real, and yet she felt the hair rose on the back of her neck and the bile rose in her throat.

Flashes of memories rushed to the forefront of her mind and for a second, she lost herself to it. She remembered a death grip on her upper arm. She remembered being pulled away from her house. She remembered one of them shoving Prim aside when she kept screaming for Katniss.

She remembered being afraid and terrified and angry. The next moment was a blur but she had raised her hand and let the negative energy consumed her. When it all calmed down, the entire district had burnt. She recalled the smell of charred bodies and pile of ashes that used to be the Peacekeepers. There was a terrible feeling of dread and helplessness until Haymitch came the next the day. He brought her and her shell-shocked family back to his house. Two days later, he had taken her back to her ruined district and they had watched from a safe distance as Peacekeepers flooded the area in search of her.

"This isn't real," she muttered.

Yet, all she could think about was that helplessness. _Never again,_ she had vowed.

Her hand rose an inch and then two until they were stretched out. Like she had on that night, the hot flame shot out of her palm. It burnt the head of the Peacekeeper standing next to Peeta.

Peeta's gaze snapped towards her, standing above the simulation ground on the watch booth. He wasn't the only one. The others were staring at her.

"What a head shot!" Finnick shouted. "Great aim, Katniss."

"Well, that was _not_ the target practice I had in mind," Effie huffed dramatically. "Carry on, children. Do not let Katniss distract you."

Annie wound a vine around a peacekeeper leg to bring him down for Finnick to drown him. Peeta, Katniss noticed, made up with brute strength. His visions were useless in combat but he compensated with physical strength. He had tackled and wrestled the gun from the Peacekeeper, and exposed him for Johanna to take him down. Johanna seemed to take great pleasure in electrocuting her enemies.

XxX

Dinner was always loud with chatter and laughter. President Coin – Katniss had rolled her eyes at the honorific Coin demanded from the students _and_ staffs – had forbade anyone from using their abilities in the dining hall.

That had not stopped Johanna from sending a mild electrical charge in Cashmere's direction or Finnick from refilling his glass with water instead of going over to the food counter to have it refilled.

It certainly did not stop Johanna from asking her to reheat her food when it grew cold because she had been too busy trying to persuade Peeta to do her homework for her.

"No," Katniss snapped.

" _So_ helpful," Johanna rolled her eyes. "Now I got to eat cold food."

"It's your own doing, isn't it?" Annie rebuked her gently.

Katniss let her gaze wandered over to the other end of the room. The teachers and advisors tended to sit and have their meals together. There had been times when Effie would join the five of them but not tonight. Tonight, she seemed to be deep in thought. Plutarch had tried to engage her in a conversation only to give up and converse with Beetee, a weapons expert.

"Is Effie alright?" she asked.

Finnick shrugged and dropped his voice to a whisper. "She's _still_ trying to convince Haymitch to join us. It used to be Plutarch but he thinks she would be more persuasive. Effie told me that she's been helping Haymitch."

"Help?" Katniss' brows crinkled. "How?"

Finnick tapped his temple. "He's a telepath, right?"

"Yeah," Katniss nodded. "But – _Oh_."

That would explain all the news from home. It would explain how Effie got them when Haymitch hardly ever use his phone.

"If he wanted to, he would have been here a long time ago," Katniss said. "She's wasting her time."

"He will be here. I saw it. I just don't know what would make him _stay._ Sometimes I wish my vision will be more specific, but..." Peeta shrugged helplessly. "Effie needs to convince him."

"It will happen," Annie patted Peeta's hand. "Everything that you saw would usually come true. If anyone can do it, it's Effie."

The conversation drifted away from their teacher. Annie had plans of visiting the Hummingbird Room during Reflection. Nobody needed to ask what Finnick's plans were. He would be wherever Annie was at. Johanna went back to her previous task of trying to convince Peeta to do her homework. It left Katniss to her own thoughts.

She thought of home. Prim would usually be with Buttercup at this hour, curled on the sofa. Katniss thought of Haymitch and his drinking, and if he was still out there with his 'hypnotist' act.

"What do you do in your free time?"

Katniss raised her head to see Peeta looking at her expectantly, trying to start a conversation. Finnick and Annie had gone off. Johanna had relocated to another table to talk to another student. It left her with Peeta.

She had never been alone with Peeta. The others were always there, acting as a buffer. They had never addressed the incident in his room when she had attacked him but he didn't seem to have any hard feelings towards her.

"I hunt," she answered.

She would have left it at that but it wouldn't hurt to _try_ being friends with him. She had spent a few weeks training and going to classes with him, and this would likely continue into the foreseeable future.

"In the woods not far from my house – squirrels, deers, birds."

"I've never hunted before. How do you hunt? What sort of weapons do you use?"

"Snares, and my father's bow," she told him.

"Oh," his eyes lighted up when he connected the pieces. "I saw you eyeing the bows during training. You could use it, you know? You just need to keep a record of it."

She grunted under her breath. The targets would be simulations, too. It was not the same as hunting in the woods but she supposed it would be better than nothing. She decided to give it a try when she can.

With Peeta, Katniss learnt that nothing was too inconsequential for him not to remember it. Two months after she arrived in Thirteen, he brought her down to Special Weaponary where he introduced her to Beetee. Katniss knew of Beetee, of course, but never had any cause to talk to him.

"Peeta told me you are an excellent archer, skilled with a bow and arrow."

"Effie didn't think so," she muttered.

She had suffered through target practice and no matter what she did, she could not control the strength of her fire. Effie was certain she needed more time, more practice.

"She has never seen you shoot anything with an arrow. You are great. Even Finnick thinks so."

"Effie has shared with me your difficulties during training and with what Peeta told me of your interest in hunting and your skill, I might have come up with a way to help you."

Peeta was nodding his head in excitement. "Show her, Beetee."

Beetee handed her a black case, and at his nod, she opened it. Katniss sucked in a breath. There was a sleek black bow nestled in the case with numerous arrows. A glove was tucked in one of the smaller compartment in the case.

"This glove," Beetee pointed it out, "is important. It directs your energy to the arrow and outwards through the tip."

"Energy?"

"Your fire," Beetee smiled. "Effie must have drilled in you again and again the importance of concentrating on what you do, yes? Trying to hit a target with your hands alone might be difficult for you, but you can channel it through these arrows. All you need to do is to _concentrate_ on what you want your fire to do once it is inside the arrow. Use the arrows as a medium. It can explode at your command, it can light up gently before roaring into an inferno or it might simply be a normal arrow and do nothing."

Something bloomed inside of her, and for the first time, Katniss felt confident enough. The fear that the fire would be uncontrollable diminished slightly. Shooting with an arrow was something she was good at, it was something she could control.

"Try it," Peeta encouraged. "And remember what Effie said – concentrate."

Katniss nocked the arrow and drew the string. This was easy, this was familiar. She thought of what she wanted the fire inside her to do. She pictured it in her mind's eyes, the way she did when she saw a target and let her arrow fly.

Katniss took a deep breath. She felt a swirl of energy travelled from the pit of her stomach upwards and outwards to her fingers.

_Be gentle. Be gentle. Be gentle._

She released the arrow.

The tip began to catch fire and it stayed that way until the arrow lodged itself on the chest of the human dummy. Slowly, the fire spread the way Katniss had imagined it until the entire dummy caught fire.

From where she was standing, the fire felt familiar. It came from _her_. For the first time since she arrived, a genuine, proud smile spread across her face.

She turned towards Peeta. He blinked at the sight of her smiling. "Thanks."

"You did it! That was amazing," he said with a smile of his own.

Katniss handed the bow back to Beetee for safekeeping. "Thank you."

"I shall show this bow to your teacher-advisors," Beetee informed her, referring to Boggs and Effie. "There should be no problem for you to undergo training with it and to bring it into the simulation pod."

"Johanna and Finnick have their own weapons, too," Peeta told her as they walked to class together. "She has an axe. It was from home. She's asking Beetee for a whip. She think's it'll be amusing to lace the whip with an electrical charge. It's been denied by President Coin _twice_ but you know Jo, she's not giving up. Finnick's got a trident which is pretty cool. It's able to fire forceful jet of water, much like your arrows and fire. He's good at wielding it but Boggs thinks that he shouldn't rely too much on his weapon for combat."

XxX

Having a new student under her care was always a cause of stress. There was so much to learn about them – their temperament, their likes and dislikes, their fears and the little things that could set them off.

She supposed she had been lucky. Her first responsibility was Finnick. He was easy to get along with. Johanna came after him and that was a challenge for Effie. She was rebellious and stubborn, and often got into arguments with students from other groups for the fun of it. She also had a habit of sneaking out of the mansion every now and again. Effie had lost count the number of times she had to track the teenager down and was partly relieved about being underground because it made trying to sneak out a little difficult.

When Annie joined their training squad, things gradually began to calm down. She had a peaceful presence about her that could smooth out even Johanna's ruffled feather. Peeta was a good addition to their group, always polite, always mindful. With Katniss, she brought on a strong, forceful energy. She sparked Johanna's interest, kept her on her toes. She kept to herself when she arrived but Effie was determined to have her form a bond with the other four, and she was glad Peeta managed to reach out to her.

Boggs had no issue with the weapons Beetee had created for Katniss, and after a few rounds of practice, he intended to start Katniss on defensive missions with the others. Tomorrow, Effie figured, she would tell Katniss the good news.

Effie reached out next to her for the bottle. She squeezed it onto the palm of her hand and gently washed her face with it. In the adjoining bedroom, the stereo system was softly playing a relaxing music.

**_Hello, sweetheart._ **

Effie gave a startled screamed. The soap fell from her hand.

"Haymitch!" she clutched her chest as she looked around the bathroom.

He was not in the bathroom with her, of course. He was miles away from here.

_Get out of my head._

**_I thought you wanted me to check in._ **

_Yes, but now is not a good time._

It had been a little odd to converse with him without being physically in his presence, odder still to converse without having to open her mouth. All she needed to do was to think of it and he would hear it.

This had been going on for nearly two months now, and she had seen progress in him. He could effortlessly slip into her mind to talk to her but he would never do more than that. All they did was talk.

He frustrated her at times. He was a fast learner but he was as stubborn as Katniss. If only he would listen to her and stay in Thirteen with them, there was so much more she could teach him, so much more that he could learn.

**_Why? What are you doing?_ **

He could easily find out the answer to that question. All he needed to do was _look_. He could look inside her head. He could see her surrounding through her mind's eyes. He refused to learn how to do it and especially not on her – _that's a fucking breach of privacy, sweetheart._ She had tried to convince him that it was alright but it had not worked, and again, she wished she could see him. Perhaps, the convincing would work better then.

She had not known him long but from the few months, she could tell that he was a good man, an incessantly noble one. She knew men who if given the chance would rifle through her thoughts without care.

**_Why's now not a good time? What you up to?_ **

They were just conversing telepathically and he could not see her at all but it still made her blush at the thought of him in her head while she was standing here naked under the shower. She wondered if he would be affected by it if he knew. She had a strong desire to push the thought of her naked into his mind and –

**_Why am I suddenly thinking 'bout you fucking naked? Where the fuck is this coming from?_ **

Effie blinked. Had she done it without truly realising it?

_It doesn't matter. How are you, Haymitch?_

**_Same as always - how's Katniss?_ **

_She's doing well. One of the staffs here, Beetee Latier, might have found a way to harness and control her abilities in a way that she's familiar and comfortable with. You didn't tell me she likes to hunt, Haymitch. He created a bow for her._

**_Your job, ain't it, to find out about her? Asking me is just cheatin', sweetheart._ **

_It's not cheating. It is meant to help her._

**_She likes huntin' in the woods behind her house. One thing that keeps her sane after all that shit, I think. Didn't think it was safe – if she accidentally burns a tree, the whole damn woods might catch fire pretty damn quickly but … Hunting keeps her calm so…_ **

_We'll see. Hopefully this is the break we need. How is Prim and her mother?_

Effie pulled the towel from where it was hanging and patted herself dry. She wrapped the towel around herself and padded out of the bathroom. Choosing her night clothes, she laid it out carefully in front of her. It was grey, like everything else in Thirteen.

**_Prim's fine, they're all fine. When can Katniss visit?_ **

_I will arrange for something. Have you been practicing?_

**_Practicing on you now, aren't I?_ **

She could picture him chuckling as she brushed her hair in front of the vanity. She tried to picture him in the context of his house, wondering if he was stretched out on the sofa or on his bed -

**_Come meet me. No school on Sunday. Come here._ **

Again, it occurred to her that her thoughts might be affecting his. She was just thinking about him and his house not a second ago.

_You need to try harder. I'm sure you can feel me resisting. You need to plant the idea in my head. You need to compel me to do your bidding._

**_You're teaching me a very dangerous thing,_** and here, he would scowl. **_You're teaching me to strip away your will._**

_I trust you. I know you will never make me do something I do not want to or put me in danger. I'm teaching you so that if you had the unfortunate luck of being confronted by Peacekeepers, you can compel them to do something – to get away from you - so you can save yourself._

**_You're too far. I can't get you to do something over this distance._ **

_Now you're just trying to talk your way into making me do what you want. You make a good case but I am_ not _going over to your house_

**_Could be fun – you and me. Help you relax or somethin'. School can't be all that fun, yeah? Come on._ **

_You're supposed to command me telepathically._

**_What's the difference, sweetheart? Maybe I like the challenge of trying to convince you._ **

_You need to –_

Someone was pounding loudly on her door.

"Effie!"

She recognised Finnick's voice.

"It's Peeta. Something's happened. You need to come. He's in one of his visions. He's not responding and it's – "

**_Effie?_ **

She did not even bother pulling the door open. She just walked right through it.

"Where is he?" she demanded.

"In his room," Finnick said, trying to catch his breath as he chased after her.

"I'll meet you there."

Peeta's room was two floors below. Finnick would need to take the stairs down. She didn't. She phased through rooms, apologising hastily to the occupants. By the time she appeared at the hallway leading to Peeta's room, she was breathless. Phasing through solid objects was all well and good, but she cannot breathe while she was _inside_ a solid object.

The three other students were already in his room, surrounding him. Katniss was holding on to his hand, staring at him. She had never seen him like this and no doubt, it came as a surprise to her. Johanna was watching with a frown on her face, his paint brushes and a canvas in her hand. She had prepared it for him, knowing exactly what he needed once he resurfaced. Annie was kneeling next to him on the floor, calling his name repeatedly.

**_Sweetheart, you there? Look, if you're busy tell –_ **

Effie ignored him. She would apologise later but she could not handle Haymitch and Peeta at the same time.

"Give him room to breathe," Effie instructed. "Move behind him, Katniss, and hold his head. He might thrash during his visions and we don't want him to hurt his head."

"How long has he been like this?"

Effie turned to see Boggs at the door, Finnick next to him.

"Five – ten minutes? I came to get you both when he doesn't resurface," Finnick answered.

Peeta jolted into a sitting position. A thin white film had covered his eyes and he was clenching and unclenching his fist.

"We'll be dead by morning!" he screamed, silencing the room.

A slow rising panic was spreading inside of her. Peeta's message was ominous.

**_I'm sensing something. You alright? I think it's coming from you._ **

She had no time to stop and mull over the fact that Haymitch was _still_ in her head, and that he was now sensing a glimpse of her emotions.

"What's that mean?" Katniss demanded. "What is he seeing?"

**_Effie?_ **

"We'll be dead by morning," Peeta whimpered, the energy drained out of him.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know there's more focus on Katniss this week. I wanted to show how she's managing in Thirteen and how she's learning to control her powers. Katniss is not the only that made progress, Haymitch did too with Effie's help :)
> 
> What was Peeta's vision, do you think?
> 
> Leave a review for me.


	6. Chapter 6

** Chapter 6 **

For a stretch of time, everything was quiet.

He would be lying if he said he was not a little shaken. He had _felt_ something from _her_. That had never happen before and he was certain it was from Effie. He had no reason to feel dread while seated in his living room which meant it had come from her, and the silence that he was getting was oppressive.

He wanted nothing more than to run back into her mind, to hear her voice and have her assure him that everything was fine. That she was alright and so was Katniss.

Not for the first time, a niggling doubt crept in his mind. Had he made a mistake leaving Katniss in Thirteen?

Haymitch tried once more to get to her but it was akin to reaching into a void. There was nothing. She was either blocking him or there was something disrupting him from reaching out to her.

He paced his living room, back and forth, back and forth with a frown on his face.

He tried again to slip into her mind. Effie had never resisted him and she was always easy to find but not now. He tried Katniss even though he had never reached out for her before.

**_Katniss, can you hear me? Must be weird for you but all you gotta do is think 'bout me. We did it once before. Same thing. Think 'bout talkin' to me and... Everything alright there in your school?_ **

Trying to tame his frustration and annoyance, he grabbed a bottle and dropped into the worn-out arm chair. He began drinking and while he tried not to imagine all the sort of danger that Effie or Katniss could be in, he found it difficult to think of anything else. He was a cynic and he was paranoid.

His eyes strayed to the numerous bolts and locks on his door and window. He was unexpectedly reminded of the time he found Effie Trinket in his house.

He pushed the thoughts of her out of his mind and tried to distract himself by letting the voices of his neighbours slowly trickle in. The chaos in his mind was soothing and familiar.

Ever since he started letting Effie in to teach him a thing or two, he learnt how to repress outside voices to focus only on a few. His mind had definitely been quieter which was a strange phenomenon for him.

Half an hour passed by and having had enough of waiting around, he went to the phone. The contraception was hardly put to use but it worked just fine except the phone in Thirteen clearly wasn't. He couldn't get through. The lines were dead and lines did not just go dead for no reason.

He checked the newspaper from yesterday, trying to see if there was any prediction of a storm. There were none.

Something was definitely not right.

His gut was telling him so and he trusted his instinct.

Haymitch ran a hand through his hair, thinking it out when it dawned on him that Thirteen was more than just Katniss or Effie. There were other students. Finnick, Johanna or that boy, Peeta, all of whom his mind he could tap.

It sent a chill running down his spine just thinking about it. It felt selfish. He had only ever reached out to Effie and even then, it was just to learn and talk, but he had tapped into other people's mind to glean information from their thoughts. He had done it on Seneca Crane except, of course, he didn’t care about that man which mean his conscience was clean _and_ Crane had been near in proximity to him.

Finnick, Johanna and Peeta were children and they were _miles_ away from him.

Still, he figured he had to try. He _needed_ to know that things were alright in Thirteen.

Haymitch took a deep breath, his fingers slowly coiling into a fist. He began to focus on the teenagers and concentrated the way Effie had always taught him. He shut his eyes, the corner crinkling slightly as he intensely forced himself to concentrate.

The voices were disjointed, soft and feeble but they were there. His fingers splayed open on the arm rest before they curled slightly.

_Warning. Dead._

_Emergency drill._

_We have to  -  I saw bodies..._

His eyes flew open. His breath hitched.

It kept coming to him – Finnick's and Peeta's thoughts – until he forced his attention away from them. He grappled for his knife on the coffee table next to him, the only object he reached out to in order to remind him of his current surroundings and reality and that he wasn't stuck in someone else' mind and thoughts.

Slowly, as his breathing evened out, he began to realise that he had just heard the thoughts of people far away from him. He could do it if he wanted to.

That discovery was quickly tempered by the confusion and uncertainty. Sure, he had heard them but it was not enlightening in the slightest. He had no idea what it meant or what was going on in that school. In fact, it left him with even more questions that before and a rising sense of foreboding.

_Proceed with caution._

Haymitch paused. He sat a little straighter in his seat.

_Do not startle them. Do not shoot._

He gripped his knife tighter in his hand, feeling the blade heavy and familiar in his palm.

_Our orders are to bring them alive._

That definitely did not sound right, especially since it was not Finnick or Peeta, and judging from how clear he was getting these thoughts in his head, whoever they were, they were nearby.

Haymitch rose from his chair towards the window. He peered through the cracks and cursed loudly. The unmistakable white uniforms of Peacekeepers could be seen creeping towards the Everdeen's house.

He let his gaze wander and he saw the houses nearby covered with black tar and smoke was coming off from it. Each time he meet a Peacekeeper, they seemed to have a new ability. Snow was doing something to them, enhancing them each time, and this current batch with their black tar was not something Haymitch wanted to cross paths with but they were steadily approaching the Everdeen's resident.

There was without a doubt that something big was happening. Thirteen had gone dark. Effie was unresponsive. Finnick and Peeta were preoccupied with dark thoughts of death and Snow's Peacekeepers had found them here.

As much as he would rather avoid getting into a fight with Peacekeepers, Iris and Prim were in danger, and Katniss would never forgive him if he let anything happen to her mother and sister. He cursed Plutarch. He was supposed to have sent in protection but that man believed Haymitch would do just fine since he was taking lessons from Effie and with no other form of security, it would force him to learn to use his powers.

Haymitch crept of out his house. He knew this place better than the Peacekeepers. At least, he had that as an advantage.

He would have called out for Prim or Iris but that would be folly, so he let his mind do the work. They were scared and afraid, and when people were anxious, they tended to project their feelings, making it easy for him to pick up their thoughts.

He followed Prim's inner voice and found them in the kitchen, hiding in a cupboard under the sink.

"I got you. Come on, we gotta go," Haymitch whispered, ushering them out.

"Step away, Abernathy."

He froze and slowly, he turned, hands raised to show he had no weapons on him. It was stupid, Haymitch thought, for the Peacekeeper to be alone. He could hear the others in the house, walking, searching and destroying. Outside, Lady, the goat was bleating loudly.

"We are not here for you," the Peackeeper said. "If you put up a fight, we _will_ bring you in. You sure will be an added bonus for President Snow. He'd want to meet the man protecting Katniss Everdeen all these time."

"I ain't protecting her anymore," Haymitch lowered his hands. "She ain't living here now. You're wastin' your time."

"We are to bring the girl and her mother in," the Peacekeeper answered. "Give them to me."

They stared at each other. Haymitch made no move to give up the two people behind him.

"I've warned you," the Peacekeeper grumbled as he reached down for the communicator latched to his belt.

"You don't want to do that, Thread," Haymitch warned in a low voice.

The use of his name caught the Peacekeeper's attention. His gaze flicked to Haymitch, a little uncertain and was that fear he saw in his eyes?

Haymitch frowned and tilted his head curiously. _You need to plant the idea. You need to compel. You need to command._ Effie had told him all of it. Effie had repeated it each time he slipped into her mind. He had never put all his heart into doing it because it was Effie and it didn't feel right to him but this Peacekeeper.... He didn't care about some Peacekeeper.

Haymitch leveled his gaze with the man. He pictured him stepping away to his right. He pictured the door behind the Peacekeeper, the door that would mean their escape. He let the image of the Peacekeeper stepping away play over and over in his mind and slowly, he pushed it forward. He kept pushing.

Romulus Thread blinked and gave his head a slight shake.

Haymitch capitulate on his chance.

**_Get out of my way._ **

Nothing happened.

"Plant the idea, compel and command," he murmured to himself.

"What?" Thread asked.

Again, he pushed the image forward. Harder this time. A slow ache was already beginning to build at the base of his skull. It happened each time he forced his mind to do something more than it was used to.

"Haymitch?" Prim asked tentatively, her voice shaking.

**_Get out of my way_ ** **now _._**

There was an odd jerk before Thread stepped to his right just as Haymitch intended him to. His eyes grew wide in surprised. He was not the only one. Haymitch was equally surprised at what he managed to make him do.

Emboldened and partly needing to test this newfound ability, Haymitch went on.

 ** _Put the gun down_** **.** **_Nothing is more important than that. Put the gun down._**

Thread lowered his arm slowly. It wobbled as he resisted the command but eventually, the arm was by his side, the gun pointing uselessly to the floor. The confusion was plain to see on his face; confused and afraid, and rightfully so. He was acting against his will.

**_Stay where you are and don't come runnin' after us._ **

Haymitch didn't feel proud. He felt relieved. He felt a terrible sense of adrenaline urging him to seize this chance and flee, so he pushed Prim and Iris towards the door. They emerged at their backyard and starting running for the woods that Katniss loved so much.

**_If you can hear me, Effie, you're a fucking genius._ **

"Just keep running," he panted as Prim screamed.

While Romulus Thread had not pursued them, the others were. Black tar shot at them and landed on Lady. Smoke began to sizzle and the goat was encased in it. It kicked its legs as it suffocated to death.

"Don't look, Prim. Just run," Haymitch ordered.

He could compel _one_ Peacekeeper standing between them and the door, but he sure as hell was not was capable of controlling that many.

"Run to where?" Prim shouted.

"The school. Thirteen. We need to get Katniss."

It didn't seem like the smartest idea but it was the only one he had.

XxX

Peeta squeezed his eyes shut.

It was always the worst right after a vision. Nothing felt real. He wasn't even sure what was real. His fear involved being trapped in his vision, seeing things that have yet to come to pass while thinking that it was _his_ reality.

"You're out," someone said harshly. "You're out of it. Here."

 _Johanna,_ his mind connected the voice to a face.

She was pressing paint brushes into his hand. He pushed it away with a shake of his head. He couldn't paint all those broken, dead bodies burnt and charred. He couldn't. Not now at least.

"Peeta," someone else was shaking his shoulder. "Can you hear me? Peeta, can you hear me?"

"Yes," he replied shakily.

Slowly, he opened his eyes and stared up straight at Katniss' grey ones.

"We need a timeline, Peeta," Boggs swam into his vision. "We need an indication of when it will be. _Anything_ at all."

"It's no use," he took a ragged breath. "I saw us dead."

"No," Effie knelt next to him and shook her head. "Not all your visions come true. Visions, my darling, are forewarning. It means we can try to avoid it. We have to try."

Turning to Plutarch, she said, "His vision is clearly a warning. We should evacuate."

"It will send the student body into chaos. We don't need that," Plutarch crossed his arms.

They were all here in his and Finnick's room, and it was becoming too overcrowded. He tried to concentrate on the adults in his room instead of the fact that Katniss' lap was pillowing his head or that her hand was resting on his chest. He wondered if she realised it herself. Like everyone else, she was watching the conversation unfold with rapt attention.

"You said morning, Peeta," Boggs reminded him gently but firmly, steering the conversation back to his vision. "Is it tomorrow morning? I need you to remember."

"I – I don't know. It was dark when the attack happened. I remember wandering on the ground... _searching._ I was searching for something or maybe someone... I remembered looking up at the sky. There was a crescent moon."

Johanna chuckled darkly.

"Tonight's _not_ the full moon. Guess what?"

"It's a crescent moon," Effie deduced with a sigh.

"And just how might you know that, Ms. Mason?" President Coin asked coolly.

 He could feel the air stilled in the room. He knew very well how Johanna knew. She had sneaked out which was the reason she had asked him to do her homework but to admit that in front of President Coin would mean punishment.

Judging from the look on Effie's face, his teacher-advisor knew it, too.

"We need to evacuate," Effie insisted. "Better be safe than sorry. If nothing happens by tomorrow morning, we shall let the students out."

There was an exchange of look that passed between her and Boggs before he backed her up and nodded. Boggs approval lent a lot of weight. President Coin trusted him.

"We are due for a Level 5 evacuation drill in any case," President Coin declared. "Tell the students it is a drill and the five of you, keep it to yourself, understand? Sound the alarms."

It would be difficult to when President Coin herself was in his room, Peeta thought. The students had seen her and Plutarch coming in. They would talk. They would wander what business the head of Thirteen had in his room along with the other students from his training group.

"Come on," Finnick ushered.

He was the first to recover and move, helping Annie out of the door.

Since she was the closest to him, Peeta grabbed Katniss' arm. He was disorientated and exhausted but between Katniss and Johanna, they both managed to haul him out of his room.

"Come on," Johanna glanced over her shoulder at Effie.

"Go," she said instead. "Take him and be safe all of you. Follow instructions, understand? When you are down in the bunker, listen to what the staffs are telling you. Don't wander off, Johanna."

Peeta tried to keep his eyes open as they moved through the corridors. They were at the staircase down heading down towards the bunker with Finnick and Annie leading the way that he felt the stares on him. His weight was supported by Johanna and Katniss, and he supposed that must be quite a sight. He heard the other students.

"Saw President Coin coming out from his room. What's wrong with him?"

"None of your business," Johanna snapped. "It’s a drill so move."

Peeta turned his head to see who it was but he was being moved too quickly for him to notice anything. He was exhausted both, emotionally and mentally, and all he wanted was a bed so he could sleep. He didn't even notice when the girls accidentally bumped his head against a pipe. He did hear one of their mumbled apologies. His eyelids fluttered close.

The images of the burnt bodies were seared into his eyelids. He forced them open.

"We're going down to the bunkers. Real or not real?"

He missed the look Johanna and Katniss exchanged over his head.

"Real," Katniss replied. "We're in the bunker now. We just need to find our beds."

"He hasn't seen anything as terrible as this since Effie got him out of the Capitol, I think," Johanna could be heard telling Katniss. "Must be a fucking shock to his system now."

He was deposited on a bed in the lower bunk. Annie fussed over him, righting his pillow and brushing his hair away from his face while repeatedly asking if he was okay.

"I'm okay, Annie," he squeezed her hand in assurance. "Are you?"

"Yes," she nodded.

"Stay with him," Johanna barked. "Finnick and I will get our packs."

"Are we safe here?" Katniss asked as she perched at the edge of his bed.

Annie did the same. He felt a measure of comfort to have the two of them close to him. When Finnick and Johanna returned, they distributed their packs. The five teenagers stayed closed to each other. Annie and Finnick were huddled on the top bunk. Katniss sat crossed legged on Peeta's bed, watching Johanna pacing back and forth.

When the first wave of bombing came, Peeta closed his eyes and breathed deeply.

He knew it would happen. He knew the Capitol would come.

Johanna cursed loudly each time the bunker rocked.

"What's happening?" A student asked through the explosions.

"This isn't just a drill, is it?"

"Is it you, Mellark?" Someone else approached them. "Did you know about this?"

"Hey, back off," Johanna pushed the student away. "Go back to your bed or something before you piss me off even more."

When the first wave ended, President Coin made an announcement. She spoke in an eerily calm voice as she explained that they were being bombed by Capitol's Peacekeepers and ordered everyone to stay put until further instructions

"You saved everyone," he heard Katniss whispered it to him. "You did a great job, Peeta."

Peeta was propped on the bed listening to Finnick telling a story of his home and his ocean adventure. He made them laugh and distracted them from the boredom and restlessness. That was how Effie found them and it made her smile, too.

Peeta could tell that Effie was scared and worried, for them and for herself. She did betray Snow by coming to Thirteen and if the bunker fail to hold, and she was captured, the fate that awaits her would be terrible.

Time became an abstract concept in the bunker. He began to lose track of it, the days had no beginning and an end. Each hour and each day felt the same, punctuated only by the waves of bombs dropping on them.

Peeta heard whispers from other students, speculations that they were here because he had a vision of it happening. None of them confirmed or denied it.

 It was impossible to get a proper sleep in this condition so they all drifted in and out of sleep. He dreamt of visions that had come to pass and visions that still left him wondering if it was ever going to happen and when, and in the throes of those dreams and nightmares, an image began to cystallise, clearer and sharper than his dreams.

There were three figures running, looking behind their shoulders once in a while as if to be certain there was enough distance between them and whatever it was that were chasing them. It was a man, a woman and a young girl who was straggling, tired and out of breath. She paused and bent over with her hands on her knees, the tail of her shirt had come out of her skirt.

 _"How long more, Haymitch?"_ the girl asked.

_"Just a little further, we're nearly there."_

The image shifted and he saw the same three people hiding in a cave. He saw planes flying overhead bearing the insignia of the Capitol, and then he heard the explosion coming in one after another.

Somewhere in his consciousness, he was aware of his bed shaking violently, Johanna cursing and Annie calling out for one of the younger students. He understood what was going on. He understood it clearly.

"Haymitch," he sat up in his bed with a gasp.

"What?" Johanna turned towards him, frowning.

Finnick peered curiously down at him from his bed at the top bunk. He was holding on to a flashlight and shone it at Peeta's face.

"Haymitch... He's here," Peeta tried to explain. He addressed his next sentence to Katniss. "He's with your family."

"Prim?" Katniss stood up. "He's _here_ with Prim?"

"Yeah," Peeta nodded. He wiped the sweat from his brows. "They're running."

"We're being bombed!" Katniss exclaimed, her voice rising a notch. "What is he – What did you see, Peeta?"

"Now?" Finnick demanded, jumping from his bed. "He's here _now?"_

"Yes, now. They were being chased when I saw them. Then, they were hiding in a cave. Capitol planes are flying overhead and each time they drop a bomb, it shakes in here. Katniss, Haymitch didn't know we’re under attack until he reached the compound."

"He's going to get my sister killed!" Katniss pulled at her hair.

"We need to tell someone," Annie said.

"Effie!" Katniss said, her eyes growing wide. "She can help. She can – I need to find Effie. You need to come with me and explain what you saw to her."

The decision was made to go together as a group. As they walked in the dark, saved only by the glow of the fire in the palm of Katniss’ hand, Peeta chanced a glance in her direction. He fervently hoped that they would be able to do something in time to get Haymitch and her family to safety. That was the thing about his visions, it was always just snippets and never the full picture so there was nothing he could say to assure her.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let me know what you think


	7. Chapter 7

** Chapter 7 **

The last thing Effie expected in the middle of a bombing was having her students come up to her with news that Haymitch and Katniss’ family were nearby and in danger.

“We need to wait for this wave to stop,” Boggs told them. “I cannot allow Effie to go out there in this situation. It’s too dangerous. We need to wait this out, Katniss. I’m sorry.”

The dismay and desperation on Katniss’ face made Effie reach out to squeeze her hand but the girl was never one for affection so Effie let it go before she became uncomfortable.

“Can’t you reach out to him, Effie? You know…”

She tapped her temple to show her intention.

“I can try but I’m not the telepath,” Effie sighed. “Haymitch has to decide to talk to me and reach out to me before we can have a conversation. He’s the one who can slip into the minds of others. Plutarch would be able to, I supposed, but he is locked in the other side of the bunker with President Coin.”

“President Coin’s bunker has all the equipment for us to know if there will be any incoming planes. Without that information, sending Effie on a rescue mission will be folly,” Boggs told them.

“We don’t need that,” Johanna snapped impatiently. “Coin’s normal so she needs equipment. _We_ ’re not, we don’t. We can get Marvel. He’ll be able to locate any incoming planes. His sound waves will give a feedback so let’s use him.”

Being a Career meant that Marvel trained for the sole purpose of _selling_ his powers and abilities. Nobody intended for the concept of Career to be born but it happened. Brutus and Enobaria were trained to control their abilities for a short while before they left and worked for a government agency.

Effie didn’t think one’s power should be exploited in that sense but to each their own. She had told the teenagers to be wary of the Careers which they in turn took to mean “avoid” except Finnick who was friendly with everyone and Johanna who saw the Careers as someone who one day, might be useful to her.

By the time Johanna had retrieved Marvel from his place in the bunker, Effie could see that Katniss was agitated. Marvel came with his teacher-advisor in tow.

“What do I get in return?” Marvel crossed his arm.

Gloss chuckled.

“I don’t have time for this bullshit, Marvel. I already told you that we’re not paying you anything for the use of your powers,” Johanna scowled. “She needs your help.”

Katniss eyed him warily.

“Gloss,” Effie started and touched his arm. “We’re all still here _together_. Peeta’s warning saved all of our lives, so now I’m asking for Marvel’s help.”

The man narrowed his eyes and then turned towards his student. “Do it, Marvel. Miss Trinket wants to play the hero. Let her.”

Effie glowered but soon, like everyone else in the room, she was cowering with her hands over her ears. The sound waves were high pitch and difficult on the ear drums.

“Give a little warning next time,” Peeta frowned.

Marvel laughed.

“There are three incoming planes,” he reported. “They’re not very close so, I figure, you have about twenty minutes, maybe thirty, before they’re above us. Is it your boyfriend, Miss Trinket? Gloss will be disappointed,” he winked at his mentor who slapped him at the back of his head.

“Anything else?” Gloss asked.

“Nothing else. We have what we need. Thank you, Marvel,” Boggs said and sent them away.

“I will go,” Katniss said immediately now that they were alone once more. “Take me with you, Effie. I can help.”

“I don’t think – “

“You trained us for something like this. I can fight,” she argued. “You can’t go alone either. I’ll be able to cover you if I’m out there.”

Brows furrowed, Boggs stepped up in front of Katniss and rested his hand on her shoulder. “Are you sure you’ll be able to handle it? Effie shouldn’t have to worry about you. She should be focused on getting to them.”

“Yes,” Katniss nodded. “I’m sure. They’re _my_ family. I have to help.”

“Take my hand,” Effie offered. Time was running out the longer they stay and argue. “How good are you at holding your breath, Katniss?”

Slightly alarmed at the question, Katniss asked, “Why?”

It occurred to her that Katniss had no idea how her abilities truly worked. The others had learnt during their time here. They had phased with her at some point or the other but this would be Katniss’ first.

“You will not be able to breathe as I’m walking through the walls of these bunkers and the walls are thicker than the others in Thirteen.”

“Don’t worry about me,” Katniss firmly assured her.

It was futile because of course she worry. She was responsible for them. She was constantly worried about each and every one of them, and she would only breathe easy with Snow and the Capitol gone.

Effie waited until Katniss took a deep breath and gave a nod before she took her hand and pulled her towards the solid wall just in front of them.

She heard Peeta’s faint _“be careful”_ as she left the safety of the bunker behind.

XxX

When they emerged above ground, Katniss was panting and gasping for breath. She let her have a moment as she surveyed the surrounding.

White roses littered the ground. Effie pursed her lips.

“It’s his trademark, isn’t it?” Katniss asked, coming to stand next to her.

“Yes.”

“He left me a stalk when his Peacekeepers came for me. I hate its smell,” Katniss spoke softly. “After I burnt my district, Haymitch moved us. Each time we find a white rose on our front door, he will move us again until now… We’ve been staying there for nearly a year. It was a game for Snow to taunt me.”

 _Or to taunt Haymitch,_ Effie thought but she kept it to herself.

 “Do you think he found my family? Is that why Haymitch is here?”

“I don’t know. It is highly probable. Haymitch had always been adamant about not wanting to be here in Thirteen so something must have forced him this way,” Effie said as the moved towards the direction of the cave. There was only one cave near Thirteen which made their quest easier. “Nothing will happen to them, Katniss. Do not worry.”

“Why is he after me?”

Effie paused briefly and quickly resumed walking. She had been afraid that Katniss would one day ask that question, and she wasn’t sure how or what to tell that girl.

There was a reason she had lied to Haymitch that day he brought Katniss to Thirteen and asked if there were other visions involving her. There had been; glimpses of the future involving Katniss and Coriolanus Snow. Peeta had confided in her, grief-stricken and in a state after Snow found out about one of it. She had lied to Haymitch because it was not the kind of information she would tell to a man she barely knew.

Now, after knowing Haymitch, she would trust him enough with that information. _First, we have to get him to safety._

“Let’s concentrate on getting Haymitch and your family,” Effie said, steering the focus elsewhere. “The clock is a ticking and I will feel so much better if we can get the three of them in before – “

Effie felt a push, a presence in her mind that shouldn’t be there. Haymitch was not subtle but being delicate had not been her top priority when teaching him to use his abilities.

**_Sweetheart, are you there? Can you hear me? I need your help. Can you hear me?_ **

Effie stopped and held out a hand to halt Katniss from going further.

“What is it?” the younger woman asked.

“It’s him. It’s Haymitch. He made contact.”

  _I can hear you, Haymitch. I need you to stay in that cave, alright? We are coming for you._

**_What the – How… Damn it, Effie! I’ve been trying to talk to you. Why the fuck have you been blocking me?_ **

She had not been blocking him, not consciously at least. All of her concentration after Peeta gave out the warning was to get the students to safety and once inside the bunker, it must have been difficult to reach her. He was still learning, his powers had not yet strengthened that far but of course, she was just speculating. Effie never had a bond with a telepath before to know everything.

_I’m sorry. Peeta’s warning set off an evacuation and the students safety was paramount. I have been in the bunker since then, Haymitch. We had no idea you would be in danger._

**_Yeah, well… You said you’re coming? You’re nearby?_ **

_Yes. We had to wait for the bombing to stop before I could step out to get you. We don’t have much time before the next wave._

**_How’d you know where the fuck to look for me?_ **

There was a brief pause before Haymitch ventured a guess.

**_Your boy saw it, didn’t he? Saw us here?_ **

“Prim? Prim!”

Katniss was shouting for her sister and before Effie realised what was happening, she was already running forward, meeting her sister halfway. The reunion carved a smile of relief on Effie’s face. Katniss had lifted Prim off the ground and they were hugging fiercely. A woman with blonde hair that matched Prim came forward and touched Katniss’ shoulder.

Behind them was Haymitch. Effie hurried forward, spurred by the sight of him. He looked terrible. There were dark bags under his eyes, his face was a mask of exhaustion and he was holding his hand at an odd angle, away from the fabric of his clothes.

“What happened?” she asked, touching his injured hand that had been wrapped with the torn cloth of his shirt sleeve.

“Tar. Peacekeepers. Burnt like a bitch,” Haymitch chuckled and gestured at the space between them. “Good to talk to you again, sweetheart.”

“If you had agreed to stay in Thirteen or come here earlier, we’d be talking in _person_ for far longer,” she rebuked.

“Can’t leave them alone, can I?” he nodded at the direction of Prim and Iris. “Good thing too that I didn’t.”

“I know,” she sighed and nodded in understanding.

Effie was not truly certain what compelled her to do it but she wound her arms around him and hugged him to her. She felt him stiffened involuntarily, unused to being touched and hugged before he patted her back awkwardly.

“I miss you,” she told him quietly.

It was true. She might have only met him a few times, the first was not even a positive memory, but she talked to him in her head almost every day and she had developed _something_ with him, established a certain closeness with him.

“I was worried.”

“Yeah?” Haymitch pulled back to look at her. He rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. “I couldn’t get to you _or_ Katniss and right before you cut me off two days ago, I was fuckin’ sure I _felt_ something terrible. That sure as hell didn’t come from me so how’d you think that makes me feel, huh?”

Effie squeezed his hand.

“Tell me what happened,” she asked. “Peeta saw the three of you running before you found the cave, and earlier, you mentioned Peacekeepers.”

“Yeah,” he grumbled, “stormed their house. Had to do something and there were too many of them, we couldn’t stay there. It wasn’t safe anymore. We had to make a run for it. Came here for Katniss, thought she was in danger, too.”

“So you decided to flee from one danger to an unknown one,” Effie asked.

“Had to get her, didn’t I, sweetheart?” Haymitch retorted. He admit that wasn’t the smartest move and he was usually far more careful than that but getting to Katniss was all he could think of. “Didn’t know Thirteen was being bombed.”

They started walking towards the compound. Katniss’ gaze kept flicking to the sky, checking for danger and Effie kept her ears out for the sound of incoming planes. She needed all of them to speed up and walk faster but they had been on the run and were exhausted.

“I’m glad you came here. Thirteen is still the safest place to be. The bunker is impregnable,” Effie went on. “You never said how you got away.”

“How you’ve always taught me,” Haymitch replied with a smirk. “I got inside his head, made him do exactly what I wanted him to do. Let me walk right past him and out the house.”

Startled, her head snapped up to look at him. “You are being completely serious?”

“Yeah,” Haymitch nodded. “What’s going on here?”

“I will explain once we are in the bunker.”

They were near. The compound was well within sight when they first heard the planes. Katniss froze and pushed her sister behind her. Effie stilled with a hand on Prim’s shoulder.

It was Haymitch who reacted first. He jostled both Iris and Prim forward, urging them to run.

“Take them down, Effie,” he pulled her forward so she would run with the others.

“Katniss?” Prim turned around, looking for her sister. “What about Katniss?”

Katniss was behind them. The bow that was slung across her shoulder was in her hand with the arrow already nocked, ready to shoot. It was aimed towards the sky, waiting for the planes to come in sight.

“Get them out of here, Effie,” Katniss shouted over her shoulder. “You can’t take all of us in at once so get my mother and sister out first.”

“Nice to feel the love,” Haymitch muttered.

“I will come back for the both of you,” Effie said.

 “Yeah, go now. Come here, Katniss,” Haymitch ordered. “What the fuck are you tryin’ to do? Shoot the damn planes out of the sky?”

“That’s exactly what I intend to do,” Katniss snapped.

“She knows what she’s doing,” Effie told him. “Stay with her.”

Taking a hold of both Iris’ and Prim’s hand, Effie told them to take a breath and with one last look at Haymitch, she turned, walking straight to the wall and into Thirteen with two very astonished and frightened passengers.

XxX

He saw the planes, three small black blobs in the sky, steadily approaching Thirteen.

“I can’t take them all down,” Katniss said.

His own weapon was a knife tucked at the back of his belt, useless against a huge flying machine. He wasn’t even confident that Katniss could take a plane down with an _arrow_ but if Effie was certain that Katniss knew what she was doing than he would need to trust them. She did train Katniss in this school after all.

His eyes tracked the movement of the planes.

“Haymitch!”

“I’m thinking,” he snarled.

“Don’t think. Just do it,” Katniss urged, her voice rose a notch.

_Your mind is a weapon, Mr. Abernathy. We can harness it._

Snow had told him that once when he made a boy twice Haymitch size pressed a knife to his throat. He had no idea how to use his mind as a weapon back then, he had no idea what Snow truly meant and he would have died if it wasn’t for Maysilee but this time it was different.

Effie had shown him the way. She had lighted a path for him. The knife on his belt wasn’t his only weapon. After all, hadn’t he did it once before?

Knowing what he needed to do, Haymitch stood next to Katniss, two foolish, resilient people against Capitol planes.

“I’ll take the middle,” Haymitch murmured.

Katniss nodded. She drew the string and took aim. As a plane drew closer and just before it flew overheard, she released the arrow where it struck near its engine causing the plane to explode mid-air.

Haymitch blinked, surprised by it.

“Good job, sweetheart,” he grinned.

Those were definitely not normal arrows. Haymitch doubt normal arrows had that sort of explosive capabilities but there was no time to answer. The two remaining planes were heading towards them and he was supposed to put his weight into dealing with this problem at hand.

Plant the idea, he told himself.

**_Land the plane._ **

Next to him, Katniss had nocked another arrow, waiting for the perfect time before striking the enemy.

Compel.

**_Land the plane safely. Do not drop any explosives. Land the plane safely._ **

Knowing exactly what he needed the pilot to do, Haymitch pushed the thoughts forward. He pictured the thoughts as tangible things instead of abstract, and imagined it moving forward like invisible sound waves directly towards the plane and to the pilot. He forced the thoughts outwards and further away from him.

Command.

**_You_ ** **need _to land the plane._**

Briefly, he wondered what it would be like to be the pilot, to have his thoughts completely taken over and filled with the need to obey the command above everything else.

From his peripheral vision, Katniss had released the arrow, hitting its target. If the plane before had exploded in the sky, this one caught fire coming down even if Haymitch noted that the arrow had lodged itself on the wing of the plane, at part that would not have caused a fire or much damage.

It clicked for him then. Hadn’t Effie also told him that they had found a way for Katniss to use her powers?

“You got it under control,” Haymitch remarked while still mentally pushing the command towards the pilot controlling the last remaining plane in the air.

“Yeah, with these arrows,” Katniss said. “You need help?”

“I got him.”

The plane began to lose control, as if the pilot still retained an ounce of his own will and was trying to resist but it wasn’t long when it lost altitude and came to a screeching halt.

With the command fulfilled, Haymitch supposed, the pilot was free of any compulsion because he stepped out of the plane with gun in hand, aiming it straight at Haymitch head. Katniss raised her bow, jaws squared and ready to response. Before any of them could do anything, the pilot jerked as he was pulled back towards his plane a few feet behind. Haymitch watched as half his body was buried and embedded in the metal plates of the plane.

“You won’t be going anywhere,” Effie said and left him in that manner, struggling to comprehend his own fate. “You both did very well,” she praised them as if she had not just rendered a highly trained pilot useless.

Haymitch was still gaping at her, his gaze darting from her to the pilot. He heard her telling him to get ready and to get as much oxygen in as possible, and before he knew it, he was walking _in_ solid objects. His body felt… He couldn’t describe it. It felt non-existent and fluid, and overall just _horrible._

“Never do that again,” he breathed once the out-of-body experience abruptly ended, forcing air into his lungs.

Katniss had already gone off to be with her family but Haymitch remained where he was, bent forward with his hands on his knees. He felt Effie’s hand on his back, the pressure grounding him to the fact that he was here and not phasing through something.

“You’re alright,” she patted him. “You will be. The first time is always the worst. Just breathe slowly. It will be okay.”

“Never do that again,” he repeated.

“You will get used to it,” her eyes sparkled. “Perhaps, we should go on walks together.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I like badass Effie, what about you? I know in canon, it was Gale + Katniss who took down the Capitol planes in District Eight but I thought it would be more fun to have Haymitch + Katniss doing it together with their newly minted and controlled abilities. 
> 
> Let me know what you think!


	8. Chapter 8

** Chapter 8 **

After being on the run for days, exerting his mind to do something he never thought he was capable of (twice), being involved in a fight with the Capitol and moving _through_ wall while feeling as if his lungs were on fire, all Haymitch wanted was a bed to crash in and to rest his aching body.

That was not to be because once Coin was notified of what had just transpired under her nose, she had whisked him away and demanded that he recount the events that forced him to flee. Tired and disgruntled, he told them everything he knew.

“He’s after Katniss. We knew this much already,” Plutarch folded his hands together on the table. “The vision –“

“What?” Haymitch jerked in his seat, sitting straighter in his chair.

It shouldn’t surprise him since Snow was always after gifted children. The fact that Katniss remained out of his reach was the reason they were always moving places but that was the whole problem. He could have captured Katniss and bring her to the Capitol quite easily. Haymitch was no match for his Peacekeepers but he hadn’t. All he had done was to play a game of cat and mouse, keeping an eye on their whereabouts and sending a white rose as a symbol that they had been found but Snow had not attacked until two nights ago, if one were to discount the incident when they came for Katniss only to be burnt in the process together with her entire town.

Except now… Plutarch mentioned a vision and there was only one person he knew with visions.

Plutarch’s gaze flickered over to Effie which Haymitch noticed. Effie, on the other hand, was sitting in her chair looking straight at the board.  

 ** _There’s something you’re not telling me,_** he accused. **_You lied to me when I handed Katniss over to Thirteen._**

There was no response from her which only made the exhaustion and the anxiety from today evolved into something else – anger.

“You’re dismissed,” Coin waved her hand. “See to it that he gets medical attention for that wound.”

With a nod, Effie stood up and so did he. Once they were out of the room, Haymitch grabbed her hand.

“What are you not telling me, Trinket?”

“Let me go, Haymitch. I will tell you everything but you need a healer first.”

“No, you tell me right now,” he hissed.

“Haymitch – “

“You know I can _make_ you tell me, right?”

Effie jutted her chin stubbornly.

“You promised you will never use it against me,” she said with a hand on his chest. “You are not that kind of man, Haymitch. Please, let me go.”

His eyes flashed and he clenched his jaws. He was breathing heavily, assessing his situation. He was somewhere he never wanted to be to in the first place. His house was by now probably inhabitable and covered with black tar, the same tar that had burnt the skin of his arm and was currently itching. He had lost everything and it would be so easy to just use what he was born with to get what he wanted. It would be so easy to slip into her mind which was already susceptible to him and command her to give him all the information she knew of Katniss. It would be so easy to give in.

He wasn’t aware that he was gripping her hand too tightly until all he felt was the air on his palm. She had phased her hand right through his grip and was rubbing the spot.

“Sorry,” he mumbled.

“You have my word that I will tell you all that I know,” she laid a comforting hand on his arm.

He always had a knack for knowing when someone was lying to him. Perhaps his telepathy gave him that gift or maybe it was his instinct but he knew at that instance that Effie was telling the truth.

Haymitch nodded and Effie led him through the bunker towards the healers. They inspected his wound and declared him lucky that he didn’t bear the full brunt of the tar but only a splash of it. They applied some salve and the cooling sensation brought a sense of relief to him. They handed a jar for him to take with.

“Apply generously, yeah?” he asked the medic.

 The bed Effie showed him was small and there was very little privacy to be had with everyone cramped around the area together.

“It will get better once you have your own compartment above. We have to make do at the moment until the situation is safe.”

Haymitch hated the bunker. He didn’t like being trapped underground with the thought of Capitol planes dropping bombs on them. He felt vulnerable. He liked it less that there was no access to alcohol. He couldn’t dull the voices in his head, he couldn’t stop the ghosts from paying him a visit when he closed his eyes and he couldn’t sleep.

The bunker was stuffy, humid and hot. At least that was the impression he had because there were tremors in his hands and he was cold, sweating but cold.

Johanna had taken to walking around without her shirt on. It made Effie bristled and went on a tirade about modesty and proper behaviour, something which Johanna merely laughed at.

“Haymitch isn’t complaining,” Johanna pointed out. “Neither is Peeta.”

"Not much of a view here, I'll take what I have," Haymitch mumbled, covering his hands with the blanket so no one could see the tremors.

His response earned a smug look from Johanna which she threw Effie’s way and then at Katniss who was staring daggers at her.

**_Jealous, sweetheart?_ **

_Hardly._

He raised his gaze to look at her as she pressed her lips into a thin line.

 _This is hardly proper behaviour and I will not have a student under_ my _care prance around_ naked. _Do not stare at her, Haymitch, honestly you will only encourage her._

**_Makes for a nice distraction._ **

_You do not need a distraction. You need practice._

Haymitch groaned outwardly.

“What’s the matter?” Finnick asked.

“She wants to practice,” Haymitch spat the word out.

“You both need to _stop_ having private conversations,” Katniss muttered. “It’s disturbing.”

“I don’t mind a little practice,” Finnick grinned. He was always more than happy to help. “I can do with a little something to pass the time.”

Since the Danger Room was out of bounds and with no training room, they had no stimulation to help them with practice so Effie and Boggs had improvised. Their practice was aimed at helping Haymitch since among them, he was the one who was severely out of shape and Katniss who had limited experience phasing with Effie.

Annie had wound vines and grew leaves to weave them together tight enough to hold volumes of water which Finnick would fill.

Katniss and Haymitch would then take turns placing their heads under water while Effie timed them. Finnick could hold his breath the longest which wasn’t surprising considering where he and Annie grew up at.

“Twenty seconds, Haymitch,” Effie clicked her tongue disapprovingly. “Surely you can hold your breath longer than that? I believe you have it in you to do better.”

“That’s five seconds better than yesterday,” he scowled at her.

“I am being completely serious. I _cannot_ take you anywhere in twenty seconds. I will not have you suffocating to death while I’m phasing with you. I won’t have that on my account. Your physical strength… and shape,” she eyed him incredulously, “is in complete disarray.”

"Way to boost my ego, sweetheart."

"Your ego doesn't need boosting,” she retorted.

“He’s not too bad,” Johanna crossed her arms to survey him and then she winked at him. “Sure, there’s a little bit of stomach roll and fats around the hips but he’s alright. I think you’re alright. Will do him, could be fun.”

“Johanna! Honestly, this kind of behaviour… He is too old for you,” Effie snapped at the same time that Peeta rolled his eyes saying, “Yes, I’m sure Haymitch will seriously consider your offer for cheap and meaningless sex.”

“Oh, right, of course,” Johanna scoffed. “Peeta here is a one-woman man, Katniss. If you want to know…”

Peeta flushed at that unexpected remarked and carefully tried not to look at Katniss.

“Why are you telling me that?” Katniss wrinkled her brows.

“So fucking oblivious,” Johanna muttered.

“Enough,” Effie said. “Now, Haymitch, Peeta will be able to help you gain some physical strength."

"I'd rather not - "

The remark about Peeta forgotten, Katniss started snickering. She had been put through the same thing when she first arrived.

"Peeta, once we are out of here, you can start on Haymitch right away. Preferably the same thing that you did with Katniss - some morning runs, weight lifting and you know the drill, don’t you, my dear? Run it by Boggs for his approval too."

“Looks like you’re slowly becoming part of the team, old man,” Finnick clapped his shoulder, a little too excitedly.

"What we need in the team is someone with teleportation capabilities. Got any of those?” Haymitch said. “How long does it take? Less than twenty seconds? We haven’t got anyone with something that _useful?_ "

"You've clearly never been teleported before. Teleportation is the transfer of - "

"Matter or energy from one point to another," Finnick and Peeta finished it with a teasing smile.

"Yes,” Effie huffed, her nostrils flaring. “Now, as I was saying, one who is not used to teleportation often felt as if they are being squeezed which is of no surprise at all. Imagine the atoms of your body being squeezed tight through other matter to get to one point. I wouldn't recommend it. I have heard of many accounts of side along teleportation going awry and - "

**_Let's get out of here - you and me. Did your practice like you wanted… What’s wrong with a little distraction now? You’d make a for nice distraction than Johanna._ **

They might be in each other’s presence physically but he still enjoyed slipping into her mind on unsuspecting occasions to drop a line or two. There was always that brief second when she forgot that she was still in the presence of others and that she look absolutely ridiculous just standing there quietly with her facial expression changing to reflect the conversation they were having in her head.

_Absolutely not. Besides, you are not ready for another phasing._

**_We haven't been bombed in 32 hours. It's safe and aren’t you the one who said I should go on walks with you?_ **

_Yes but –_

**_I’ll do better with the real thing than this holding my breath under water bullshit you’re making me do. Come on, sweetheart, have some_ ** **private _practice with me._**

_President Coin is making sure Thirteen is safe before she release us back. It will only be a matter of hours. You can hold on for a little while longer, can’t you?_

**_And then what?_ **

_Then we'll get you settled in and… there is still that matter concerning Katniss that I have to talk to you about._

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The 'cheap and meaningless sex' is from NYSM! Tell me what you think of this chapter and what is it about Katniss that everyone else seems to know?


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I couldn't update this yesterday bc I wasn't feeling very well but I am better now so here is it :)

 

**Chapter 9**

Haymitch, Peeta decided, was as stubborn as Katniss, and wondered for a second if they truly were not related in the slightest.

Just as Effie had instructed him to, Peeta had started putting Haymitch through physical training once President Coin declared that Thirteen was safe and everyone was released out of the bunker back to their compartments.

The old man was currently sitting on the floor, knees bent in front of him, breathing heavily. His body was coated with perspiration and his shirt was sticking to his skin.

Peeta tossed a bottle of water in his direction and frowned when Haymitch didn't even bother catching it. He snatched the bottle off the floor when it rolled nearer and gulped it down.

"I'm done," Haymitch heaved, pouring the water over his cupped hands before splashing his face on it.

Peeta bit his tongue. Effie had said something about not washing yourself while _still_ perspiring and to let the sweat dry off naturally first.

"No, you're not. You've only ran two laps."

"Yeah, and that's two fucking laps too many, kid," Haymitch grumbled. "Get off my case."

"You know I will have to report this to Effie, right?"

"I am quaking in my boots," he answered flatly.

"Come on, Haymitch. You're one of us now. You have to pull your weight."

The scowl Haymitch directed at him was reminiscent of the time when Katniss had glared at him after he added more weights to her deadlift. It made him smile.

"Where the hell are the others, anyway? Why am I the only one here at eight in the fuckin' morning?"

"They are cleaning," Peeta told him simply. "I have been exempted from it because of you."

"Is that so?"

Peeta sighed. He had only known Haymitch for a few days but he had a way of prying the truth out of people that had _nothing_ to do with being a telepath. Effie had told him that Haymitch would not worm his way into his mind without his express permission and even if he did, Peeta would be able to sense it.

"The others…" he licked his lips. "They will be able to use their powers to help in the cleaning. They can move slabs of concentre, they can…. Well, my vision is – "

"Useless?"

Peeta did not react to the bait. He kept his composure.

"Effie thinks I will be more useful here."

"You look up to her," Haymitch remarked.

"She saved me."

"Word has it that you convinced her to break you out," Haymitch said casually, leaning back on his hands to watch him. "Something 'bout a vision…"

_How much does he know?_

Knowing that the training was going nowhere at the moment, Peeta settled himself on the floor with a little less grace because of his leg and sat across from Haymitch. They stared at each other.

"Vision or not, she still saved my life. It doesn't mean that everything that I see will happen, so, it was all her. I told her what I saw and she acted on it. Effie saved my life. I will do the same for her. I found a family in her," Peeta told him truthfully. "And she found a family in _us._ "

"Us…"

"Yeah," Peeta nodded, "us. That means you, too."

"You're as trusting as her," Haymitch snorted.

"You saved Katniss' family. You protected them and you came for her here when you thought she might be in danger. I think you're alright," Peeta shrugged.

Haymitch looked away.

"Can you move things with your mind?" Peeta asked out of curiousity.

Haymitch scoffed. "No."

"Not _yet_ ," Peete smiled. "Telepaths should be able to do that, yes?"

"Don't know."

"I'm sure Effie will be able to hone your powers eventually."

"What does she do? While she's with the Capitol... What was her - "

"That's not my place to say," Peeta said curtly.

If Haymitch didn't know then he wouldn't betray her confidence in that manner.

"'Cause see, she knows a little _too_ much 'bout honing people's powers. Makes one wonder what sort of things she was up to in the Capitol."

"If you've been in her mind before, shouldn't you know? Wouldn't it be just _there?"_

"Doesn't work that way, kid," Haymitch said. Peeta leaned forward. He was always curious about people's power and the way it worked. "And I wouldn't go rifling through her memories. Her mind's not a book that I flip through and read to know things. No one's mind should be treated that way."

That was the last thing he expected from Haymitch. Something shifted and he realised it for what it was - respect. The same he had for Effie and for the others in his team. He had been subjected to others with abilities who abused it for power and who had no respect for someone else as a person.

He smiled at Haymitch.

"I'm no expert in minds but I know a thing or two about strengthening your physical being so come on," he pushed himself up and extended a hand to Haymitch. "Two more laps. I'll even run with you."

XxX

Haymitch was sprawled on his stomach when the compartment door slid open.

"I knocked," Effie said in her defense, "but you didn't answer."

He grunted under his breath.

"I'm beat, sweetheart," he mumbled.

Her laugh was sweet and warm, and filled the otherwise quiet room. He felt the bed dipped as she sat next to him. He rolled around on his back.

"Me, too," she told him. "Half of the hangar caved in. We had to clear that out so repair works could start. I really am not made for this."

She sighed.

"You know, I used to be pretty," she stared at her hands. "I miss fashion."

He raised his hand and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. Her breath hitched and she caught his gaze. He found the band holding her hair together. He tugged it until her hair flowed freely and ran his fingers through her locks.

**_Go on, don't stop talking_ ** **.**

He was too tired to engage in a conversation but he didn't like the silence either, not without his drinks.

"Are we talking?" she asked. "You've only said three words since I came in."

"We've had conversations telepathically," he murmured. "You're here and I want to hear your voice. Talk to me so I can sleep."

"So you think my voice bores you enough to lull you to sleep?" she frowned but the way she was looking at him wasn't fooling him at all.

He smirked.

Her skin was smooth, he thought to himself as he traced a finger down her arm. He wondered how she tasted like, and was glad that _she_ couldn't hear his thoughts unless he wants her to. He tugged and pulled until she was stretched out next to him.

"This is improper, Haymitch."

"Is it?" his asked, his voice barely above a whisper. "Should I be worried about a new boyfriend coming in here looking for you?"

"No, but – "

"Then nothing's wrong," he cut her off. "Tell me about Katniss."

She turned on her sides so that a hand was resting on his chest. His eyes were closed but he was awake, waiting for her to tell him what he wanted to know. He felt her in his mind, a soothing calming presence.

It was never like this with anyone else. But he had also not spent an extended amount of time slipping into anyone's mind like he did with Effie, and he wondered if telepaths could bond or if the mind of someone he constantly linked himself to would leave an imprint on him.

"Long before you brought Katniss to Thirteen, we knew she existed because of Peeta's vision. We didn't know who she was. He described her as a girl with dark hair and grey eyes. He said he saw her surrounded by fire. He said he saw her screaming, and then there was Coriolanus Snow with blood in his mouth."

Haymitch frowned.

"We don't know what it means but Snow took it to mean that the girl was a threat. We are not even certain if the two are related in any way but it certainly piqued Snow's interest."

He listened to her talk, his mind processing the information as best as he could. In the end, when Effie was done and asked for his opinion, he was too exhausted for it.

"I need to think," he mumbled and fell asleep with her in his arms.

She was gone when he woke up in the middle of the night.

Haymitch was saved from any training the following morning when his presence was required at Command. He followed Effie, grumbling about not having time to himself in this cursed place.

It was a week since they were released from the bunker and preliminary reports were already trickling in. Haymitch slouched in his seat, tapping his pen against the edge of the table. It drew dirty looks from President Coin but he pointedly ignored it.

"The damage is not as terrible as we expect it to be. It even seems half bake at best."

"That is not how Snow works," Plutarch said with a shake of his head.

"Agreed," Effie chimed.

Haymitch sighed loudly.

"Do you have something useful to add to his discussion, Mr. Abernathy?" President Coin demanded.

There was a deep scowl on his face when he raised his eyes to see everyone waiting on him.

"He was trying to flush you out of Thirteen," Haymitch told them matter-of-factly. "I'm finding it a bit difficult that _none_ of you is seeing this. He isn't here to _kill_. He never does that. He doesn't do the dirty work himself, he makes us do it. Only the strong survive. That's how it is and that's how it has always been."

Plutarch and Effie exchanged a look. They understood him. They were from the Capitol. They knew very well what Snow made people like _him_ do against the other children he took from their homes.

"Snow's trying to get you out from the underground and up in the open. The plane I took down is still there, ain't it? Check it. I bet it has containment units to neutralise powers for those he intends to bring back to the Capitol."

President Coin turned towards Boggs and several of his men behind the room, an eyebrow raised in question. Boggs gave her a curt nod to her unspoken query.

Haymitch released a frustrated breath.

"You were well aware there were containment units all these time?"

"Yes," President Coin affirmed. "We inspected the plane once the bombing ceased. It is safe to say that he failed. We are all still here."

"He ain't gonna stop, you know," Haymitch pointed out. "His Peacekeepers will come for these children, for Katniss."

"Yes," President Coin nodded her head and tapped her chin. "Katniss… She is just a girl but he's afraid of her. We can use her."

"Hold on a second," Plutarch leaned forward in his seat. "Snow doesn't know that Katniss is here. He sent his Peacekeepers after Haymitch and her family."

"Don't be stupid, Plutarch," Haymitch retorted. "He fuckin' knows Katniss wasn't home. If the kid ain't there and he doesn't have the kid, there's only one other place a mutant kid will be, yeah? And that's with you at your school. He came for Katniss' family because that's how he works. He goes after your pressure point and if there's someone Katniss will protect at all costs, it's Prim. Getting Prim will force Katniss out in the open, if bombing Thirteen doesn't."

"This could be just what we are waiting for," Plutarch stood up and addressed the room. "Snow has never conducted an attack of this nature before. He seems desperate, to say the least."

"Careful, Plutarch," Haymitch warned. "It won't do to underestimate him."

"I'm talking about _striking_ him," Plutarch countered. "If Katniss is the one he deems as a threat, then we use her."

"No," Haymitch objected.

"As a symbol," Plutarch went on. "How long more are we going to wait, Haymitch? How many more children would have to be taken from their families, experimented on and made to fight to survive? How many more would have to die before we do something?"

"I never pegged you for someone noble," Haymitch sneered.

"This is an opportunity. It might not present itself again," Plutarch argued. "It is now or never."

"Katniss has made a reputation for herself in the Capitol," Effie said from where she was seated next to him, "for evading capture that one time with _your_ help. It creates quite a stir in the corporation. Everyone knows her back in the Capitol and word of it travels here in Thirteen."

"Exactly," Plutarch jumped on it. "We can build up on that reputation."

"I won't turn her into something she's not. She has to take this up _voluntarily_ ," Haymitch crossed his arm. "We're talking about going against Snow and as much as I want the Capitol to end, that's my kid."

He felt everyone's eyes on him and he felt Effie's fingers curling over his wrist.

**_Don't tell me you're in on this._ **

_I know you want to protect what is yours but Plutarch is right, this has been going on for so long. We've both watched children die, Haymitch._

**_I don't like it._ **

_Katniss is mine, too. I've took her under my wings_ _in your absence. I've trained her. I've watched her come to terms with her abilities. I don't want to see anything happen to her or Peeta or Finnick, or any of the others. I don't have children of my own and they are as close to it as any._

**_You're ridiculous,_** he snorted. **_Mothers don't send their children to war._**

"If I may say something?" Boggs stepped forward. "Thirteen have not felt hope until Katniss walked through that door. And with you here… They know Katniss' story, and they know you had a hand in helping her escape Snow. That's something."

"There's a reason you are both here," Effie nodded.

Haymitch looked at her. Everyone else in the room was irrelevant to him. They didn't have a bond with those kids the way Effie did.

_We will protect them to the best of our abilities. You and me, together._

It was stupid and foolish. He wasn't very good at protecting people. His mother and his brother was testament to that. But he was in a different place now. He wasn't alone and one way or another, those kids had been trained to defend themselves.

Maybe… Maybe, they could do this.

"Like I said, Katniss has to take this up. We ain't forcing her into any of it. If she says yes, I'm with her."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't forget to review and share your thoughts with me. What do you think of that moment with Peeta and Haymitch? What do you think of the meeting? Let me know :)


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit heavy on the dialogue.

 

**Chapter 10**

The water sploshed in the glass, some of it going over the edges before Finnick raised his hand and stopped it in time. He directed the water back into the glass and dropped his tray on the table.

"So, how did the training go?" Finnick asked the moment he took a seat across from Peeta at the table. "With Haymitch."

The dining hall was buzzing with people, and after days of having their meals in the bunker, this was a welcome respite. Finnick was not made to be kept underground. He missed the sun and the sand between his toes. He missed swimming in the ocean, chasing after Annie.

"We're making some progress," Peeta said. "He's better when he's not made to do it alone so I run with him. He is as stubborn as Katniss otherwise."

Katniss shot him a look but concurred to the point. "My mother said the same once."

"You better train him fast, Peeta," Johanna said through a mouthful of food. "We might need him ready for combat sooner than you think."

"Why?"

Johanna looked at her friends and Finnick raised his eyebrow at her.

"Know something we don't, Jo?"

Johanna pushed her plate away and leaned forward, dropping her voice to a low whisper.

"Word has it that we're going after Snow."

The grin on her face was almost maniacal, as if this was what she had been waiting for all her life.

"Who is this 'we'?" Finnick asked.

Four pairs of eyes were on her and Finnick waited. If Johanna knew something, she would not keep it to herself especially if it concerns them.

"President Coin… District Thirteen," Johanna shrugged. "Our squad."

"Don't play around, Johanna. This is not something to joke about," Annie chided.

There was a frown on Annie's face, a worry etched on it that he wanted to soothe away. Under the table, Finnick covered her hand with his and gave her a gentle squeeze.

"I'm _not_. I was on my way to Weapons to look for Beetee. I _really_ want that whip put a good word for me, won't you Finnick? Anyway, I had to pass by Command and apparently, meeting had just concluded. I saw Haymitch talking to Effie and boy, that man did not look happy," Johanna chuckled. "So… I snuck up on them."

"And you heard this from them?" Katniss pressed. "You heard them saying that we're going after Snow?"

"Well… No," Johanna said.

"Johanna!" Peeta snapped. "So you assumed?"

"It's got something to do with Katniss," Johanna shrugged. "He doesn't want you leading the charge something like that but Effie was trying to convince him that they'd work together on this. She said we're ready and she said Snow's been hunting you so _that_ should mean something."

"Me? Lead what?"

"Doesn't matter," Johanna waved her away. "We'll know soon enough. I'm all for it. I'm sick of hanging around here doing trainings after trainings and not doing what we're supposed to do."

"What is it that we're supposed to do?" Katniss placed her fork down with more force than necessary. It seemed to amuse Johanna but Finnick had a distinct feeling that Katniss was unsettled by this discussion.

"End the Capitol," Johanna answered. "The whole fucking corporation is corrupt. It's killed more children than ever. We end that. We can stop hiding here. We can stop running away from Snow, worrying our damn minds off if he's gonna round us and lock us up, if he's gonna experiment on us. We can be free. Think about that. _You_ can stop moving houses for once."

"We're not ready," Peeta argued.

"If Effie thinks we're ready…." Johanna said.

"We know ourselves better and we're _not_ ready," Katniss objected.

"We are always going to think that way until we are forced to face the situation itself," Finnick said quietly. "How many more trainings do we need? Are we ever really going to be a hundred percent ready?"

"Finnick…" Annie turned to face him.

"No," he shook his head. "Johanna's right. We can have a life, Annie. One that we've always dreamed of and _I_ want to give that to you. You've always dreamt of a house by the beach. Remember? One way or another, it will end, either with our deaths or his and if we survive, we can put our lives back together again."

"I don't like this talk," Annie told him. "If we stay – "

"I know you're not a coward, Annie," Finnick said. "You're so much braver than this and you know that I will always be by you. We need to do something. This can't go on."

"We're not leaving _now_ ," Johanna spoke up. "Command isn't going to give the order now. I bet if they want to do this right, they're going to have battle plans and more meetings. We'll still have more time to train."

"You really think we can do this? Take the Capitol down?" Peeta asked in a doubtful tone. "It's unshakeable. It's been there for as long as –

"I don't know if we can," Johanna said. "But I want to try. You suffered under Snow, Peeta. You should hate him as much as I do. He killed my family. I want his head on a platter. Look at us, we're not too bad. We've got Katniss with her fire manipulation, Finnick with water manipulation. Annie can do some fucking mean things with her power. I can manipulate electricity and you. You're strong and your visions are helpful."

Finnick smiled.

It was unlike Johanna to praise people but she was a loyal friend and her words were never untrue.

"We've got Effie, and she's a badass when she wants to be," Johanna shrugged. "We've got a telepath now. Haymitch is one of us, yeah?"

"We have to stick by each other," Peeta raised his head, looking at each of them. "We trained as a team. We're going to do this as a team."

Finnick was grinning.

"Yes," he nodded. "We've trained for this."

"We didn't train for _combat_. We trained to control our powers and defend ourselves," Katniss retorted.

"Same fucking different, right," Johanna scowled. "The best defense is a good offense."

"True," Finnick agreed. "The Capitol is getting worse. With what he can do, Snow will take in more children and more will die. You know this, Peeta. You've seen what he'd do to them."

"Yes," Peeta bowed his head. "He's taking children even if they have no powers or abilities, normal human children, Katniss."

Katniss seemed startled. "What does he want with them?"

"He wants to force mutation out of them. He has taken survival of the fittest to the extreme," Peeta explained. "He thinks the human body evolves to protect itself against danger and so he creates these dangers in his labs, forcing the body into extreme pain in the hopes that the genes would evolve and mutate. That – That was how I lost my leg. He wanted to enhance my powers."

"That's insane," Katniss commented. "Evolution takes _years_."

"He doesn't have years," Peeta said and then he admitted a fact that caught Finnick off guard. "He's after you, Katniss. He thinks you will destroy him."

"What?" Katniss asked, looking confused and shocked.

"You've never told us this," Finnick frowned.

"I've only ever told Effie… And Snow."

"Why would you tell him something about me?" Katniss demanded.

"I was delirious," he tried to defend his actions. "I was under a serum. I was having visions and it came out. When I realised what happened, I was scared. I told Effie about it and she helped me escaped. I'm sorry. I've felt guilty about it for years."

"What did you see?" Johanna asked.

"I saw – I saw Katniss with her bow. I saw Snow and he was in chains. He was … He was bleeding in his mouth. It was dripping down his chin. I think it will be you who will make sure he meets his end."

Johanna made a triumphant sound. "You said Effie knew about this, right? I bet she told Command. I bet that's what's gotten Haymitch pissed. It makes sense, all of it; what you're telling me and what I overheard."

Finnick raised his head, a theory already formulating in his mind.

"I _think_ he attacks Thirteen because you're getting trained and that's bad news for him," Finnick said. "As long as you're with Haymitch, all he needed to do was keep an eye on you so that's why he kept tabs on where you were. Keep the enemy close, you know? You are not a danger to him when you're busy trying to run away _from_ him but then things changed right? Haymitch sent you here and Snow knows what goes on in Thirteen. He knows Plutarch is training mutant children. Here, you're learning to fight, you're learning to control your powers and he can't have that. That's why we were never attacked before."

XxX

The music blaring from the speaker was loud and irritating, and it made his ear drums hurt. Johanna stood in the middle of the room with a mad grin on her face. Haymitch was at the other end, facing her. Johanna was the third person he had to face today, and frankly, his head was pounding.

Sometimes, he hated Effie for her persistence in making him train. It both annoyed and thrilled him to be near her. This game of cat and mouse, of trying to memorise her schedule so he could corner her and spend some time with her was fun to him. It distracted him and filled his time. They had ended up at the Hummingbird Room the night before and his touch had lingered on the small of her back and on her knee but he never did get round to _kissing_ her. He would get it one day, a kiss from her. For now, he would let her slip away, contented with the fact that she opened her mind to _him_.

"Come on," Johanna shouted over the noise.

Gritting his teeth, Haymitch concentrated. His training today involved filtering out all the distraction the music was making to get into Johanna's mind, to read her thoughts and compel her to act.

Johanna was an infuriating adversary. Each time he managed to get into her mind, he was assaulted with sexual thoughts about everything and anything that she could think of, and one that he didn't want to think about.

"If I have to listen to you fuckin' thinking about a purple fuckin' dildo one more time, Johanna," he warned.

"You're going to what?" she taunted with a laugh. "You got nothing!"

"Johanna, please take this seriously," Effie's voice emanated through the speakers across the room.

_Haymitch, do not let her ruin your composure. Your enemies will try to distract you the same way Johanna is doing._

"This is boring," Johanna declared. "I'm just adding some fun into – "

She never did get to finish her sentence. Johanna was jumping up and down, scratching herself like a monkey.

Outside the room, Finnick had doubled over, laughing to himself.

"That's enough, Haymitch," Effie commanded. "Let her go. You've made your point. You got to her."

The amusement on Johanna's face was gone. She walked past him, muttering obscenities under her breath.

"You were saying?" Haymitch taunted.

Johanna stopped and slowly turned towards him. She extended her hand to him.

"Congratulations, old man."

Smirking, Haymitch grabbed her hand. "Thanks. You shouldn't – Son of a bitch!"

He pulled his hand away and glared at her, shaking his hand repeatedly to get rid of the tingling feeling from her electrocution.

"What? You didn't see that one coming?" Johanna asked. "Didn't hear me thinking about giving you a jolt?"

Haymitch scowled at her as she walked away.

"Johanna's like that," Katniss said as she approached him.

She handed him a bottle of water and they sat on the bench next to each other watching Peeta and Annie practicing their hand to hand combat.

"Yeah, I know," he grumbled.

"You're doing well."

"Guess Effie's a good teacher," he shrugged.

"She's not bad," Katniss nodded. "What's going on between you and her? Peeta said – "

"What's going on with you and the boy?"

"Nothing," Katniss told him.

"He likes you," Haymitch told her, taking a gulp from his drink. "You like him?"

"I'm not five, Haymitch. You make it sound like it's so easy."

"Isn't it?" Haymitch retorted.

"I don't have time to think about that. There's something I want to talk to you about."

"Sounds serious. Boy problem? Got someone one else you have your eyes on?" he teased.

"No," Katniss glared. "It's about something Johanna said. She told us yesterday that President Coin wants to go against the Capitol. Is this true? If you know something, Haymitch…"

He glanced in her direction out of the corner of his eyes. He contemplated his choices. He could lie and deny he knew anything, but like she just pointed out, she wasn't five. Katniss wasn't stupid and it would be better to be truthful. He needed her co-operation after all.

"At some point, it's gonna come down to that," he admitted. "It's still in its early stages, Katniss. Nothing is certain yet."

"You think it's a good idea to attack the Capitol?"

"As opposed to sittin' here and waiting for another attack? Yeah," Haymitch muttered. "There's some good in taking the fight to him. We can't live like this."

Katniss said nothing to that. She was deep in thought, mulling this over.

"Sit tight, Katniss," he murmured. "How's your family?"

"Prim likes it here. She gets to learn. She's interning at the infirmary after classes."

"Good," he nodded. "Your mother?"

"She's keeping herself busy too. She volunteered at the hospital. She was a nurse before … She was nurse so she belongs there. She asked about you. Why haven't you checked on her yet?"

"Been busy," he gestured at the training room. "I'll go down and find her soon. Listen, Katniss, we need to talk but not here."

XxX

The light in Command had been dimmed. The hour was late but Alma Coin was looking pensively at the screen. Plutarch Heavensbee was pouring over maps and documents, formulating a plan.

A document titled Operation Mockingjay was opened in front of him. There were sketches of uniforms and weapons.

"If Abernathy does not have what it takes to convince her," President Coin spoke in a low voice which carried across the room. "Then it will be prudent for us to speed things up."

Plutarch raised his head.

"Meaning?"

President Coin reached out and took the remote from the table. She pressed a button and the screen changed to a photo of the Capitol building.

"We'll give her a reason to fight," President Coin murmured, pressing another button and another photo went up the screen.

It was the tone of her voice that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand. He hesitated. Something felt off to him.

"Perhaps I was wrong, Alma," he began speaking. "We might not need a symbol at all. It is highly probable to move forward without one. We should consider all our options."

"It is strategically sound to have one. Snow needs to be afraid of something. He needs to be reminded of his mortality and Miss Everdeen is the perfect reminder for him. The others would need to rally under her. We need unity."

"They are children, Alma. I swore to teach them and protect them."

"Sacrifices are necessary," she continued undeterred.

President Coin stood up and walked towards the door.

"Collateral damage is unavoidable," she said in parting.

The doors closed behind her but Plutarch paid it no heed. On the screen was a photograph of small silver parachutes in a crate.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> drum roll please! What do you think of this chapter? You get a scene from Finnick's point of view, you get Haymitch training with Johanna, a little bit of Papa Haymitch, and you get Heavenscoin... or more like Coin plotting. Leave a review :)


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

Effie nudged him lightly to get his attention. She nodded at the table where the five teenagers were seen gathering their trays to return it to the station.

"Now will be a good time to talk to her," Effie suggested.

"President Coin is impatient for an outcome," Beetee added, "and Plutarch seemed worried about it."

"Yeah, course he is," Haymitch growled. "He's always out to please her."

Katniss and the others were already making their way out from the dining hall. Haymitch pushed his tray away and stood up.

Brushing his finger lightly against Effie's wrist, he glanced once in Beetee's directions before he muttered low under his breath, "We ain't done discussing 'bout… my phasing."

Effie blinked, momentarily confused. They had not been discussing about his progress in phasing prior to dinner. He was just trying to find an excuse to spend time with her but he couldn't just say it with Beetee present.

"Yes," Effie nodded. "Phasing… I will be available – "

"I'll look for you when I'm done with Katniss," he said as a parting shot.

Haymitch found Katniss walking next to Peeta behind the group, smiling at something the boy was saying.

"I need to have a chat with you," he said, steering her by the elbow away from the group.

His unexpected presence drew curious look from the other teenagers until Katniss waved them off. He led her down the corridor with Katniss keeping pace.

"Snow's after you," Haymitch began, going straight to the heart of the matter. "You know it, I know it. There's a reason why he's interested –"

"Peeta told me," Katniss interrupted.

His head snapped towards her in surprise before a mask of indifference settled once more over his features. Neither of them said anything until the two students walking passed them turned the corner.

"Something he saw, yeah?" He asked just to confirm that they were on the same page.

"Yeah. The vision meant _nothing,_ Haymitch. On its own, it seems meaningless. All he saw was me with a bow and Snow bleeding. There is no connection. I don't understand why he's making _me_ a target."

"You need to know somethin' about Snow, girl. He's paranoid. He leads his life thinking that people are out to get him. He lives with the same fear that he has placed upon us. He's constantly lookin' out for anyone who might take him down which means that paranoia is distorting his perception. You understand what I'm tryin' to say? Fear makes people do stupid things, Katniss. It doesn't matter now if the boy's vision has no meaning to it. Snow has attached a meaning to it and so, he's painted a target on your back."

Katniss was quiet. There was a frown on her face. Haymitch didn't push her. He allowed her a small moment to understand the implication and the gravity of the situation. Sure, it was unfair to have her life turned inside out because of something beyond her control and because of an old man's paranoia but Katniss was important. She was still alive and as long as she stood tall to show Snow that she would not be intimidated or shaken, Snow would be obsessed in trying to eliminate her. He would make mistakes and all they needed was one mistake.

"I never wanted this, Haymitch. All I wanted is to keep my sister safe from my mutation but she's here now in the middle of it. I never wanted to make any enemies. If there's something to take this away from me," she raised her palm and a small fire sprung to life, "I will gladly give it away if it means that Snow will stop hunting me."

"Snow will never stop, kid, and if it ain't him, it'll be someone else." He took a good look at her before he said, "It ain't like you to give up either. Sometimes, you just gotta stop running and hiding to start facing the monster tryin' to kill you."

"That's easy for you to say," Katniss muttered. "There's no one you love that's going to pay the price."

"The people I love already paid the price," he spat. "They're six feet underground."

Katniss had the decency to look chastised. She muttered an apology.

"You're not no one to me," Haymitch growled.

If she understood it, good. If she didn't, he wasn't going to explain it to her.

"You won't be alone, Katniss," he assured. "I'll be with you. I want to see him go down for what he's done to me and to others."

"You want revenge," she stated.

He shrugged.

"Point is, kid, you're going to have people behind you. Snow's made you into his enemy. You gotta face it one way or another. But you ain't gonna go at it alone. Coin wants you to rally the people here, make you front and center, and with that, you'll have Thirteen behind your back – their people, their technologies, their weapons. What do you say?"

He watched her. She stared at him stubbornly.

"She doesn't trust us. She wears that thing on her temple that neutralizes our power when we're near her," Katniss pointed out.

Haymitch snorted. Apparently he was not the only one to notice.

"I don't trust her," Katniss stated boldly. "Do you?"

XxX

Johanna was sprawled on her back, legs bend at an angle. The others formed a circle around her, sitting cross-legged on the floor. Haymitch had demanded for their attention half an hour into training much to the relief of Katniss and Annie who had never found running an enjoyable form of physical activity.

From the moment he mentioned Snow's name, a hush silence fell over the room. Katniss watched him with a frown.

"So," he went on, "mistake number one that you can make... What? Nobody gonna tell me what it is?"

"Underestimating Snow," Finnick answered.

Haymitch gave a curt nod of approval. "That includes his army of Peacekeepers which means today, we won't be continuing with simulation training."

"Why?" Johanna demanded, pushing herself into a sitting position. "That makes no sense. If we're not supposed to underestimate him, then shouldn't we be training to prepare ourselves?"

"Mistake number two," Haymitch held up two fingers and glared at her, "is when you don't let me finish."

Finnick chuckled and patted Johanna's shoulder teasingly.

"There are only three people in this room right now who knows Snow," Haymitch continued. "That's me, Effie and Peeta."

The mention of his name in a sentence together with Snow made Peeta uncomfortable, even more so when Katniss turned to look at him.

"Now, the rest of you are going to get acquainted with Snow _through_ us. Knowing your enemy is knowing how to defeat them – that's lesson number one. You following?"

They nodded.

"Katniss," Haymitch called her out, "what do you know of Snow's abilities?"

"Uh," Katniss glanced at Peeta briefly who smiled encouragingly at her. "Power replication."

"That's right. He's got the abilities to replicate _and_ retain your powers which sounds horrible enough on its own and even worse that of all people he's the one who has it. What happens when he uses this power against you?"

Haymitch paced the room, waiting for an answer. With the exception of Peeta, the others were looking at each other.

"It leaves you temporarily drained," Effie chimed from where she was standing. "Small mercy, if you ask me, because if he has the power of absorption, you will not have _anything_ left when he is done with you, a shell of your former self."

Annie blanched at that information. She turned towards Haymitch.

"Did he... Did he replicate yours, Haymitch?" Annie asked. "Can he get into our minds?"

"He didn't," Haymitch answered.

He met Effie's look from across the room and squared his shoulder. Talking about his past was never easy but it could never fully remain buried, so he prepared himself for the next question.

"But he _took_ you when you were a kid," Johanna pointed that fact out with a frown. "Wasn't the purpose to harvest your power?"

"I ran before he could. He was preparing me for it, yeah. I was the only one out of the forty-eight children left. I survived out of everyone and he only goes... He goes after the strongest, the one left alive."

"He was weeding everyone else out?" Katniss asked.

"Yeah," Haymitch muttered. "If you can replicate powers, what's the point of going after those that ain't strong enough to matter? That was what he was doing with you, wasn't he, Peeta?"

Peeta raised his head, jaws clenched tight. He looked at his team.

"Yes."

"Snow was trying to enhance Peeta's power," Effie supplied an explanation, "to its maximum capability before he replicates it. Thankfully, he never did get to it."

"He replicated Mag's powers," Finnick spoke softly but there was a fire in his eyes, the anger simmering deep inside of him. "I watched her die."

Katniss turned to Finnick. "Who is Mags?"

"Finnick's guardian," Johanna answered. "Or at least, she used to be before she – you know – got murdered. Mags had enhanced sensory attuned to other mutants like us. Snow used her powers to find mutant children. Haymitch had helped from her. That was how he found me before Snow could get to me. Didn't tell you, huh? You think he just happened to find you?" Johanna snorted.

"How did she die?" Katniss pressed for an answer.

"Peacekeeper released toxic fog in her home when Snow realised that other kids with abilities went out of the radar one after another before he could get to them. Didn't take him long to figure out that Mags must have had a hand in it so he solved the problem. He disposed of her. He already has her power, he didn't need her around," Finnick told her.

For a long time, Haymitch thought that he had stumbled upon Mags' home by chance. He was wrong. Plutarch had helped him escape the Capitol and Plutarch had subtly manipulated his thoughts and perceptions so he was running in the direction of Mags house. He had fled when he woke up in her house, thinking he was putting her in danger, not knowing that they would be helping each other. Sometimes, in quiet moments, he missed Mags as intensely as he missed his mother.

"Johanna was the last kid I brought to Plutarch," Haymitch admitted and gestured at Katniss and Peeta. "You were the last two kids Mags ever identified."

"But you found me before Snow," Katniss pointed out. "How – What about -"

"Haymitch went for you first. He would have gotten Peeta but Snow beat him to it," Effie stated. "If Snow had gone for you first, it would have been reversed. Haymitch would have found Peeta and Snow would have gotten you."

A look of surprised passed by her face. She glanced over at Peeta.

"I didn't know ... Did you choose me?" She addressed the question at Haymitch. "You had to make a choice, right?"

He did but that was not something he wanted to admit here in front of everyone even if the answer to that was obvious. If Katniss thought he had not thought about what Peeta went through since he found out about it from Effie, she was dead wrong. The guilt was there. He could have saved the boy from that pain and that torture, but that would also mean trading Peeta's place for Katniss.

"It was either you or me, Katniss," Peeta pointed out. "I wouldn't wish what I went through on you or on anybody. I don't begrudge Haymitch for the choice he had to make. I made it," he managed a smile, "I'm here."

"If he has acquired all these abilities," Johanna brought the conversation back to Snow, "how are we even going to take him down?"

"Together," Effie declared. "We're a team. There are seven of us and we're going to do this as a team."

"That sounds nice and all but he has an army," Johanna pointed out. "Seven of us ain't shit."

"Language, Johanna," Effie clucked her tongue in disapproval.

"Thirteen have their own research lab," Boggs stepped forward, speaking up for the first time. "We've been researching the Peacekeepers problem as you all know. I would go in detail but that is too scientific for a man like myself. Beetee could probably explain to you better but I say, let's not bother him. Your job is to go after Snow. My job is to keep his Peacekeeper busy and distracted. I will be forming a squad with a group of selected soldiers."

There was not much to discuss after, nothing that would involve him or the students. Effie dismissed everyone.

Haymitch left the training room and waited, lounging on one of the walls.

Occasionally, he would glance down at his watch. He was due to assist in the greenhouse hydroponics' room in fifteen minutes and Effie would have another schedule that would take her away from him. He wouldn't see here again until dinner, probably.

It wasn't long before he heard her footsteps hurrying down the corridor right past him before she slowed down, turning back and retracing her steps. He smirked when she turned the corner and found him. Their eyes met and a slow smile began to spread across her face.

"It is disconcerting," she murmured as she approached.

Haymitch pushed himself off the wall, his hand already reaching out to touch her. His fingers closed around her elbow and drew her close.

"What? I like knowing that you know how to find me," he admitted.

"Does it happen with anyone else?"

"No," he wrapped a finger around a curl of her hair. "I don't spend so much time in anyone else's head except you, sweetheart."

"So telepaths do bond?"

Haymitch shrugged. "Don't know but I'm _guessing_ Plutarch bonded with Fulvia Cardew. Have you seen them? It's disgusting."

"Is that what you think? That _this_ is disgusting?" She frowned and took a step back, offended at his words. "Having this connection with _me_ disgust you?"

**_I think you're hot when you're angry._ **

Effie bristled and he petted her hair to soothe her. He dropped his gaze to her lips and ran his thumb lightly over her bottom lip. The thought of kissing her was overwhelming him. He was sure that she knew what he was thinking so he pushed the image of it in her mind. There was nothing to be ashamed about. His desire for her was not something he needed to hide away from her.

Still, that was all he did. He pictured them sharing a kiss; thought of running his tongue across her lips until she parted it open for him; thought of her taste; thought of her hand buried in his hair. He shared them all and he was aware when her breath hitched as she unconsciously stepped closer to him, tilting her chin up towards him.

His fingers were splayed on the small of her back, pressing her to him. In his mind, he was very conscious of what the thoughts he was telepathically pushing towards her. Sharing was okay but nothing more. He drew a limit there with her because if he went any further, he was afraid that he would have compelled her to kiss him and he didn't want that. He wanted her to _want_ it just as much, to feel her desire burn deep in her stomach and for her to come to him willingly.

He felt his blood racing in his veins when she licked her lips playfully.

Glancing surreptitiously around him, Haymitch noted that the corridor was quiet. There was nobody around and he couldn't _sense_ anyone near them. With a palm against her cheek, Haymitch leaned forward. Her breath was warm against his lips and now that he was so close to her, the smell of her hair made him dizzy. He wanted to bury his nose in it. He could hear the roaring of his blood his ears and the feel of her pulse under his thumb where he had pressed it against her neck.

"Haymitch…" she whispered throatily.

He brushed his lips lightly against her, teasing and testing, and nipped on her bottom lip. Her fingers curled on the nape of her neck were insistent as she drew him forward.

**_Easy, sweetheart._ **

_I don't like it gentle._

**_I'll take note,_** he smirked. **_This applies in the bedroom too, yeah?_**

He was going to go for it, he was going to crush his mouth against hers and kissed her like he had always meant to and just as he pressed his lips, she phased through him.

"Fuck!" He cursed.

She laughed.

"You think I would let you kiss me when you made me angry on purpose?" Effie mocked, reappearing on his right.

"You're a fucking tease," he snapped in frustration and walked away.

From his peripheral vision, he saw her appearing and disappearing through the walls, trailing after him, a laugh still on her lips. When she stopped in front of him, she pressed a kiss on the corner of his mouth as an apology.

 ** _I want more than that,_** he told as she walked away, throwing a smile in his direction over her shoulder.

* * *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't know if you've been wondering how Snow has been finding mutant children or how Haymitch managed to get to some of them but there you go! And you've also just learn of Snow's abilities and hayffie nearly kissing ... :) Tell me what you think!


	12. Chapter 12

** Chapter 12 **

Thirteen was alive. There was more chatter and more energy that morning when Katniss walked down the hallway towards the dining hall.

The students were in high spirit and rightfully so because once every two weeks, they were all allowed aboveground. Classes and practices were conducted in the open and they could spend their free period walking within the vicinity of the compound.

The days were always random so that no one outside of Thirteen could detect a pattern to it. Nobody in Thirteen knew when it would be either so that way, they could not inform anyone outside of it.

Katniss only came to know of it when she woke up that morning and checked the schedule on her wrist to see that today was the day. That would explain Prim’s grinning face when she woke her up.

“So,” Katniss looped an arm around Prim’s shoulder. Soon, she noted, Prim would surpassed her in height. “What’s the plan when you’re up there?”

“I have Herbology lessons so according to the timetable, in the next outdoor session, we’re going to walk around and identify plants with medicinal properties. I can’t wait for it! You?”

"You're going to ace that lesson then," Katniss laughed. “I think I’m going to hunt during my free period. The woods are still within the compound so it should be okay.”

"I will try not to leave the rest of the class too far behind," Prim grinned again. "What about practice? Do you have outdoor practice?”

“Yeah, think so,” Katniss shrugged. “The simulations we have underground are good but Boggs thinks that training in the real world would do us some good. He’s right anyway.”

It was one of those rare occasions when no one ate their breakfast slowly in an attempt to delay to get to their class. Katniss ate just as quickly, eager to get outside. She saw Prim with animatedly talking to one of her classmates who was also wearing a red band around her arm to indicate that they were medical trainees.

“Hey,” Peeta walked up next to her.

Katniss slowed down to let him catch up and as they emerged out of the door, she turned her face upwards, letting the sun heat her face.

All around them, children were laughing and joking, and jostling each other playfully. She turned towards Peeta to see him smiling at the sight. His eyes were bright under the sun and his smile was … sweet. She averted her gaze when Peeta caught her staring, fighting off the blush.

“Can we have more flowers?” an excited voice asked.

Annie’s light laughter floated towards them. She stood next to Finnick, sprouting plants and blooming flowers on the barren ground.  A small girl stooped down to pluck the flowers, inhaling the smell.

“It reminds me of home,” she declared with a beam.

Katniss spotted Haymitch and Effie strolling towards them and nudged Peeta in his ribs. They exchanged a look when Haymitch broke a flower from its stem and handed it to Effie without much affair. Effie seemed surprised by it but she tucked the flower behind her ear and threaded her fingers with Haymitch. Together, they phased through a tree in their path.

They did not emerge immediately and Katniss had a feeling that Effie was doing it on purpose as part of Haymitch’s training. Peeta had the same thought because he was counting under his breath.

".... fifteen, sixteen... twenty-five….”

They appeared at fifty-six.

“He held his breath for nearly a minute,” Katniss remarked. “He’s definitely improving.”

It was Haymitch’s sudden halt in his track to raise his head up towards the sky that made Katniss mirrored his actions. She saw nothing but Haymitch was a telepath which meant he must have _sensed_ something.

Katniss scanned the sky and startled badly when a Capitol plane materialised directly over her head. The door at the bottom of the plane slid open and small parcels began to drop out. They were silver and glittered under the sunlight. They were too small to be a bomb but it still put her on edge, thinking of the attack on Thirteen a few weeks ago.

“Silver parachutes!” Marvel shouted. “Gifts! Hey, everyone!”

Katniss looked around, confused. There were a handful of them that was just as confused as she was but there were also others that stepped forward eagerly, hands outstretched reaching for the silver parachutes. She recognised them as having been from the Capitol.

“That makes no sense,” Peeta muttered.

"What are those?” Katniss asked. “Why are they happy?”

“There is…” Peeta inhaled deeply as if trying to explain this to her was causing him to recount his worse memories. “At the Capitol, there’s a system. Silver parachutes mean gifts – food, clothes and medicines – but there are not many of those around. We have to fight for it. It’s one of those…. It’s one of those ways to ensure that only the strong survive.”

“But we’re not in the Capitol,” Katniss exclaimed. “We’re at – “

“Don’t touch it,” Haymitch shouted, hurrying forward. “Leave it alone. Get them back down, Effie. Everyone, get back to the bunker!”

Effie spurred into action as did Johanna. They ushered everyone back down to the bunker. Johanna wrestled parachutes out of little children’s hand and tossed them aside but there were still a group of them with the parachutes in their hand, looking like a deer caught in the headlights.

“Snow’s got _no_ reason to be dropping silver fucking parachutes,” Haymitch muttered loudly. “Something ain’t right.”

“It could be a ploy to destroy Thirteen,” Peeta suggested. “To get us to fight for it like we did before.”

“I don’t know, kid,” Haymitch pushed Peeta forward. “Get in there. Get back down. You too, Katniss.”

“Prim,” Katniss shrugged off her mentor’s hand. “My sister’s still – “

Whatever she meant to say next was drowned in the sudden loud explosion. The silver parachutes went off in children’s hand.

Katniss, Peeta and Haymitch were a few feet away from the main blast but the force of it still threw them back. Haymitch’s grip loosened as she flew in the air and crashed against something hard. Her head began to ache almost immediately. Katniss struggled to sit up. She was disoriented and she blinked hard to get her vision into focus. There were clouds of black smoke in the air and a deadly silence as if the explosion had sealed all noise into a vacuum.

She couldn’t locate Peeta or Haymitch and as she was searching from them, Katniss saw a glimpse of a familiar blond braid and a flash of red arm band moving with a single purpose towards the blast site. She was on her feet before she could think twice. Her mind was buzzing and empty.

“Prim!” she croaked.

All she could think about was to get to her sister and to get Prim to safety and that was when the second explosion rocked the ground.

Something roared inside of her, something fierce and angry, an energy that was trying to force its way out to meet its counterpart – her fire with the fire from the explosion. They were not two sums of a whole and Katniss felt herself being torn apart. Her skin was burning and prickling, and her flame was growing and growing in an attempt to protect her and yet strike this foreign fire down. She vaguely realised that she was thrashing on the ground.

“Katniss!” someone was shouting her name. The voice was familiar. “Control it, Katniss. You’re the only one who can.”

Finnick.

She recognised that voice even if she had no idea what he meant by it.

_Control._

She could control this. They were dealing with fire and fire was hers. She was its master.  

_Control._

But her skin… Katniss wanted to scream. Her skin felt like it was melting into her bones. This fire wasn’t familiar. It didn’t come _from_ her. Fire shouldn’t hurt her. Something was wrong. She needed it to stop and the only way to stop it was to make it hers.

She was gasping for breath. Her eyes were wide open in disbelief as she felt herself absorbing the fire from the blast into herself.  

She could see more clearly now. Finnick’s skin was red and blistering but he was on his feet, standing protectively over Annie, pouring jets and streams of water around him to quell the fire but he stopped when Katniss stood up.

“I knew you could do it,” he panted. “Good job, Katniss.”

She found Haymitch unconscious on his back, bleeding from a head wound. She called the flame licking his feet on to her palm.

“Katniss! Finnick?”

“We’re here, Effie. We’re okay,” Finnick called out. “I’ve got Annie with me too.”

Out of the corner of her eyes, Katniss saw Effie running towards them. Her face was covered in black ash but she paid her no heed. She moved almost in a trance towards the crater left behind by the blast.

She knew what she would find.

Or rather, what she would _not_ find.

There would be no body. No traces of Prim.

Her little sister was gone, a burnt, charred mess. What remain of her would be indistinguishable from the others that burnt with her.

“Come, Katniss,” Effie commanded gently.

She pushed Effie’s hands away.

Katniss stared at the remains of the plane. She was dimly aware of the flames growing from her clenched fist at the sight of the Capitol insignia and she was _so_ angry. She was furious. Prim… Sweet, darling Prim, who only this morning had greeted her with a grin and an excitement for her Herbology class.

Then she felt someone’s hand closing around her wrist and the sharp, chill as Finnick encased her wrist in ice.

“You will burn us all,” he told her quietly, his eyes remained fixed on the Capitol plane.

“If we burn,” Katniss gritted her teeth, “he’ll burn with us.”

XxX

The explosion could be heard all the way in his compartment. Plutarch had been going through some papers when he stopped, his heart racing in his chest.

The bunker held but in the hallway, there were a flurry of activities. The higher the level he went, the more he saw students spilling in from outside. They were terrified and some were crying.

The second explosion had him clutching to a pipe and the silence that followed drove him further upwards once he was certain that it would be safe.

He emerged to a sight that stopped him short.

Somewhere down in Command, he was sure Alma was watching this development encased in the safety of her bunker. It made him sick. Those were children. Those were their students – _his_ students – she had thrown into the foray as collateral damage.

Plutarch ordered all the students down to the infirmary and made sure that there were no one left stranded before he fully stepped outside. He caught sight of Effie, cradling Haymitch’s body close to her; Johanna holding her injured arm with Annie clinging to her; Finnick was next to Katniss whose flame was alive and burning on her palm.

He made to approach the group and that was when he heard it.

“If we burn, he’ll burn with us.”

 _It worked,_ was the first thought he had.

Alma was right. Perhaps the end justified the means.

Katniss was theirs.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, there's some hayffie from Katniss' POV and of course, Prim had to go. Leave a review, it will make my day.


	13. Chapter 13

** Chapter 13 **

The air smelt of disinfectant and bleach which the staff had used to clean the blood on the hospital floors from the injured they brought in. Nurses hurried passed, wheeling trolleys filled with medicines, bandages and medical equipment.

In one of the room, Effie was bent forward on the chair, her head pillowed on Haymitch's stomach. He had gained consciousness the night before after suffering from a head concussion from the blast and was currently being kept in the hospital for observation. Under the influence of medicine, Haymitch was asleep. He was twitching in his sleep but Effie was oblivious to it.

She only startled awake when she felt a hand on her back.

"Get some rest," Finnick spoke softly. "I'll watch over him."

Effie blinked and stretched her sore muscles.

"I need to check on Katniss," she said and stood up, leaving the chair free for Finnick.

"There are no changes to her since you last dropped by two hours ago. She's still not talking."

Effie sighed.

"Even if she's not talking and she's not responsive, we should still try to reach out to her. Silence shouldn't be met with silence."

"Peeta's with her," Finnick informed.

He scratched on his hand through the bandage where he had sustained the burn injury and Effie hit it away.

"You will slow down the healing if you keep scratching. The salve works though, doesn't it?"

"Yes," Finnick nodded. "Annie's sitting with Johanna but Jo's being difficult. She wants to leave."

Effie sighed.

"I will talk to her. How is Annie?"

"She is... It's affecting her but she's okay with me around."

She made a mental note to talk to Annie, too.

"I'll be back soon," Effie said. "If Haymitch wakes up, please get me. I will be with Katniss."

Katniss was awake, staring at the ceiling with her arms folded across her stomach. Just as Finnick had said, Peeta was sitting on the chair next to her bed, sketching.

"Is it another vision, Peeta?"

The boy jumped in his seat and relaxed when he noticed that it was her.

"No," he reassured her. "I was just … I needed to do something."

When Katniss was brought in to the hospital for treatment of her burn wounds three days ago, she had not uttered a single word except to tell her mother that Prim was dead. The silence coming from her was deafening and worrying.

The night before, she had given Peeta a scare when he returned from the washroom to see her missing from her bed. It took him, Finnick and Effie an hour searching for her before Peeta eventually found her in a utility closet.

When she refused to come out and not wanting to get her in trouble by reporting the incident, Peeta took his place next to her and held her hand throughout until he finally managed to coax her back to bed.

"How is she today?" Effie asked even if she already knew the answer from Finnick.

The doctors had told her and Plutarch that Katniss was in shock and that she needed to grieve her sister's passing. She had not shed a tear or broken down in sobs. She had simply retreated into herself.

 _Time,_ Effie figured. They needed to give Katniss time.

XxX

"Hey, kid," Haymitch settled down on the edge of the bed.

Her eyes flicked over to him briefly and Effie squeezed his shoulder in encouragement. A reaction, no matter how small, was still a reaction and Effie counted it as an improvement.

"I'm sorry about Prim,” he told her.

“She didn’t deserve it,” Katniss croaked, surprising Haymitch and Effie both of whom had not expected her to talk to them. “If I wasn’t here she won’t – “

“No,” Haymitch interrupted. “They attacked the house even without you there, Katniss. This has nothing to do with being -”

Katniss turned to her sides with her back facing them, a clear dismissal. Effie fussed over her until Haymitch gently pulled her away before it became too much for Katniss. He, of all people, understood the need to be alone.

They returned to his hospital bed and when she tried to make sure he was comfortable, he batted her hands away. Instead of getting into an argument with him, she left to sit with Annie. When she returned an hour later, it was to see him gone and his hospital bed neatly made up for the next patient.

She tracked him down in his quarters but before she could even get a word in, he was already glaring at her.

“Don’t start, sweetheart,” he warned. “I don’t have to stay in there another second when I feel fine.”

Effie sighed. They had argued about him _‘feeling fine’_ twice since this morning and for once, she suspected that he might have made an exception and abused his abilities to ‘convince’ the doctor into discharging him.

There would be a time to talk about that in particular but not today when he was clearly not in a good mood.

“You’re dead on your feet. You’ve got dark circles under your eyes,” he pointed out.

“I know,” she sighed, taking a seat at the edge of his bed. “I am exhausted but I need to be there for the children. They need me.”

“They’re fine being on their own for a few hours. They have each other.”

He was standing in front of her and she had to tilt her head up to look at him. Effie did not react when he reached out to pull the band holding her hair together. Instead, she leaned forward, resting her forehead on his stomach as he ran his fingers through her hair, combing through the knots. Effie certainly did not protest when his fingers returned to her scalp and he began to massage them lightly until she began to relax completely against him.

It was Haymitch who pushed her back until she was lying on his bed before he climbed in next to her. She scooted closer and turned in his arms, hooking a leg over his.

“We are odd, aren’t we?”

“Why’s that?”

“You let me sleep in your bed… We’ve slept together a few times but we’ve never kissed, not once.”

He scoffed.

“Last time I tried you didn’t let me,” he pointed out.

“You didn’t try again after that. I was disappointed,” she pouted as she toyed with the button of his shirt.

“So you _do_ actually want me to kiss you,” he declared triumphantly. “I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Are you not going to kiss me now?”

“Nah, I think I’ll make you wait.”

It was the silliest thing she heard that it made her laugh. After everything, she needed to laugh over something. His lips twitched into a smile but it never reached his eyes. Her laughter tapered off, wondering if there was anything wrong.

In the end, she decided, if there was something truly important, Haymitch would talk. She tucked her head under his chin, staring at the wall, willing herself to fall asleep but sleep did not come easy for her or for him.

"Before we brought her to the hospital,” Effie started talking about what was bothering her since they were both still awake, “and before the loss of her sister truly hit her, Katniss said that she wanted to be the one to do it… To take the Capitol down… Except, I don’t know…" Effie hesitated, “I don’t know if she will be able to see it through now and it is not fair to place such burden on her after she’s suffered this loss. Peeta’s vision may have placed her in - ”

Haymitch exhaled loudly and clasped her hand to still the agitated movement.

“She’s going to want revenge, sweetheart. If she’s anything like me, going after the Capitol will give her a renewed sense of purpose,” Haymitch mused. “We can’t push her to it immediately after this. I don’t care what Coin’s gotta say. We gotta give Katniss a little time but she’ll come around. She’s strong, that one.”

“You look troubled, Haymitch,” she pushed herself on her elbow. “What is on your mind?”

"Nothing important," he answered too quickly for her to know that there was something.

"I may not be able to read your mind but I know if you're lying to me, and you are."

He regarded her carefully and she could read his eyes. He was contemplating it through.

“You can tell me,” she ran her thumb soothingly across his brow. “We’re in this together. We’re a team. You can tell me, Haymitch.”

"Something is wrong," Haymitch admitted. " _This_ isn't Snow. The bombing… The murdered children…"

"It was a Capitol plane."

She wasn’t sure what he meant. It was clear to anyone that the violence was linked to Snow. They had loss students to the bloodshed and they were steadily losing students whose parents were still alive. They were pulling their children out of Thirteen over safety concerns. Effie couldn’t blame them.

“I know that. We all saw that plane except something’s off. Think about it, Effie, this _isn’t_ Snow. It’s not him.”

“What are you talking about? How can you be so sure?”

Haymitch pushed himself up so abruptly that he dislodged her. She tossed him a look.

“Snow will never kill mutant children so carelessly like that. He experiments on them, yeah, and they die under his hands as a result of it but he wouldn’t outright _kill_ them. It isn’t him. Killing them serves no purpose. He wants the strongest, Effs, and blowin’ them up ain’t gonna show him which one of these children is the strongest.”

She blinked, trying to piece his logic together.

“He attacked us a few weeks ago. How is this any different?”

“Exactly, Effie,” he insisted. “The planes carrying those bombs came with neutralising tanks. He was trying to flush every single one of us out to _capture,_ not to kill. ”

“Perhaps, flushing us out in order to capture did not work it his favour, he is pushed into an extreme.”

“No,” Haymitch shook his head. “I’ve been thinkin’ about it. Something’s wrong. Somethin’ _here_ makes my skin crawl.”

"What are you insinuating?"

"I don’t know for certain what it is but I can feel it in my guts that-” Haymitch turned towards her, his eyes piercing hers with such fierce intensity. “I need you to be careful. You don't talk about what we’ve discussed to _anyone_. You understand? You don’t talk ‘bout this to those in Command especially.”

“Haymitch, you are scaring me.”

“Good,” he rested a palm against her cheek. “Fear keeps you alert. It keeps you alive and … I need you alive.”

Effie almost saw it in an agonisingly slow motion even if her heart was suddenly racing in her chest and Haymitch’s intention began to click in her mind. He was leaning forward towards her and slowly, she raised her chin. His gaze flitted from her eyes to her lips and then she felt the brush of soft lips against his own before the kiss became firm and insistent.

He held her in place with his hands cradling her head and her eyes fluttered shut.

Casting aside her exhaustion, her anxiety and her fears, Effie focused on the feeling blooming in her chest as he dragged his lips from her mouth to her jaw and down her neck.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> THE KISS! Tell me your thoughts :)


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! So, um, I watched Legion this afternoon which is a new tv show about Charles Xavier's mutant son which gave me a burst of inspiration to go back to Gifted Beings so here I am.

**Chapter 14**

Outdoor privileges were revoked and suspended indefinitely following the attack. Haymitch watched children shuffled down the corridors sullenly, their joy and spirit wrenched from them. There was something heavy in the air and classes were more subdued than ever.

He could count on his finger the number of times he saw Effie. She was one of the school's counsellors and the surviving students _needed_ her to deal with the death of their friends. They sought her out at all hours, frightened from nightmares and traumatised from their experience.

He tried where he could but he was not good at comforting children as Effie was. Annie, Finnick and Peeta did their best too. Katniss spend her time brooding, staring quietly at anyone who approached her. There were times he wondered if she could comprehend what was happening around her. Johanna was amongst the few who stood her ground and remained by her side although Haymitch thought it was an excuse not to spend her time comforting the other children.

"Your girl's broken," Johanna told him bluntly.

"I know," he murmured. "I'm trying but there's nothing I can do right now to fix her, short of bringing Prim back to her."

He had woken Katniss up countless of time from her own nightmares. Once, when he couldn't sleep, he had walked past the infirmary to see Peeta on the chair next to her, speaking quietly in her ear and gently brushing her hair back. It had calmed her and Haymitch left those two alone.

Haymitch waited for weeks to see if the Capitol would stake a claim on the attack but there was nothing. It only served to increase his suspicion that the attack was not all that it was made out to be.

Every other night, President Coin would make a passionate speech about standing together and being united as one, and reminded the children of the enemy that was the Capitol. It was mandatory to attend these speeches unless one was indisposed in the hospital which meant Katniss was often absent. She watched it through screens in the infirmary.

"It's propaganda," he muttered. "You know that, right?"

"It is working well," Effie replied. "It is stirring discontent and a need for revenge amongst the different squads. Lyme has been training her students harder than ever."

Three weeks after the attack, with Effie and two other school counsellors swarmed and ill-equipped to deal with all the children, Plutarch brought in help in the form of Dr. Aurelius. Haymitch watched with his arms crossed in front of his chest, as Katniss had her first session.

"He's nice," Peeta said, standing next to him. "I had my first session with him this morning, too."

Haymitch spared the boy a glance. "He's one of us? Mutant?"

"I – I don't think so. I don't know for certain."

"You like him?"

Peeta seemed amused by that question but he shrugged. "He suggested something to me, something I haven't thought of in a long while."

"What's that?"

"My parents used to own a bakery," he explained. "He said I shouldn't … He said it is important now more than ever to remember who I was before… before Snow. It will help to ground me. I – uh," he shifted on his feet. "My fears… They're a lot to do with being lost… to my visions. I'm afraid one day that I wouldn't be able to separate my visions from reality."

Haymitch could understand that. How many times had been afraid of losing himself to the voices he heard and not being able to differentiate if someone was speaking to him or if he was _hearing_ it? He had needed a tangible object to ground him and that was his knife.

"Dr. Aurelius suggested that I write down my family's recipe."

"You think that'll work?"

"I hope so. Recently my fears changed to …" his gaze darted to Haymitch and maybe because he saw Haymitch as Katniss' father figure, Peeta hesitated briefly, "… to include Katniss."

Haymitch didn't press him for an explanation. It took a lot of courage to admit one's fear, he knew that. So he clapped Peeta on his shoulder before walking away, leaving him to watch Katniss through the small glass on the door.

**_Where are you?_ **

_In Weaponary with Beetee and Boggs,_ she answered.

He let out a breath and trudged to his compartment. Haymitch pulled his shirt over his head, peeled his undershirt and let it fall carelessly to the floor. He took off his pants and stepped into the shower. The water was icy cold before painfully slowly, it started to turn lukewarm. Standing under the shower, he thought of Katniss and how easily she could heat up the water. She had done it before during winter months for her family's benefit and for his. Haymitch had not seen her used her power since the attack, had not seen even the smallest flicker of flames sparked from her fingertips.

Haymitch ran a hand over his face, wiping the water away and opened his eyes. He sensed her before he saw her.

"You like watching me shower?" he asked.

When he turned his head to the side, there she was leaning against the doorway. A smile bloomed across her face.

"If I'm not invited then I shall just watch," Effie teased.

He had of course locked the door to this compartment but like she said the first night they met, locked doors had never stopped her before.

"Come here," Haymitch beckoned.

Effie Trinket didn't need to be asked twice. She made a show of undressing in front of him while he was naked under the shower.

"You could just phase through your clothes, right?"

"Patience, Haymitch," she clicked her tongue as she let her blouse fall from her shoulder to reveal her breasts. "There is no fun in that."

He remained standing, watching her hungrily. His gaze tracked her every move, every trace of her finger. Her bra followed suit and then the rest of her clothes.

**_You're fucking hot._ **

This wasn't the first time he had seen her naked but he wasn't seeing as often as he would like it with their time stretched thin between them. Haymitch licked his lips and raised his hand. She took it and stepped into the shower, smiling widely at him.

Haymitch was vaguely aware of her back hitting the shower wall with a soft thud. He mumbled a quiet apology before the rest of their movement became a frantic and hurried of desperate need. She came apart in his arms, her legs wrapped around his waist and her breath hot against his neck.

 _I miss this. I miss the feeling of you inside of me. I miss_ you.

He grunted in agreement.

"It's a miracle we didn't slip and fall," Effie said it out loud.

Gently, he let her down and eventually, they cleaned up. He had to admit that it was nice to have her work the shampoo into his hair even if she spent half the time complaining of its plain and boring smell. He took his time lathering her back with soap and punctuating it with kisses on her neck.

Haymitch had not felt this way in a long time; relaxed and easy in someone's company, despite everything that was happening around them. That thought made him wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her tight against him possessively. Happiness was a fleeting concept to him and he was afraid – _petrified_ – that it would be wrestled from him. That _she_ would be wrestled from him.

She tilted her head to look at him, puzzled by his behaviour. She was still encased in his arms, her back against his chest.

"What's wrong?" she asked softly, running a finger through his stubble.

"Nothing," he mumbled, pressing a kiss on her shoulder. "Haven't had a woman in my shower in a long time."

She turned in his arms and kissed him. When she pulled away, Effie tucked a lock of wet hair behind his ear.

"Coin approved The Whip."

"The what?" his brows furrowed.

"Johanna's whip," she said and explained Johanna's long history of pleading a case for her own personalised weapon. "Katniss has her bow, Finnick has his trident and now, Johanna will have her whip."

"I thought she has an axe," Haymitch said, wrapping her in a towel.

"She does, the only thing left from home. This whip will be different. Boggs will bring it up from Weaponary to show her tomorrow. You should be there with the rest of the team."

"Okay," he said simply.

"There is something else," she said and bit her bottom lip, hesitating for a split second. "I have been tasked to establish contact with Seneca Crane once again."

He released her so quickly as if she had a plague and stepped back, staring at her.


	15. Chapter 15

** Chapter 15 **

_You said he’s one of Snow’s,_ she reminded him.

**_Yeah, so? It doesn’t mean you have to do anything ‘bout it._ **

Haymitch heard her released a breath.

“The Capitol has been too quiet,” she spoke. “ _We_ need to reach out and find out what’s happening. They’re not claiming responsibility for the attack on the children. Don’t you think we need to know what is going on?”

“We do but that’s not up to you. What you’re suggesting… It’s suicidal,” he argued. “Crane should know by now that you defected. He was probably playing you while you two were together. You’re not doing this, Effie.”

It was clearly the wrong thing to say because her face scrunched in displeasure. He didn’t need to hear her thoughts to know that she was growing angry.

“First lesson, Haymitch,” she glared at him. “I make my own decisions. Even if the decision has not been made I would want to discuss it with you. But I do not appreciate you telling me what I can or cannot do.”

“Fine,” he raised both hands and let it drop by his sides. “Thanks for wanting to _discuss_ it with me, sweetheart,” he added snidely. “You’ll excuse me if I want to try to talk you out of this crazy shit you call a plan.”

“Can you not see the bigger picture here? I’m trying to help us.”

“I think you’re trying to play the hero,” he accused, moving away from her to put on some clean pants. “Say you go off on this mission of yours, what’s going to happen to your students here? What’s going to happen to their training… to _my_ training?”

_You’re raising your voice. I’m trying to have civil discussion._

He growled. He wished she would stop that – talking to him in his head and out loud.

**_You’re trying to distract me. Get the fuck out of my head._ **

_I’m not the telepath here. I’m not in your head. You’re the one listening to my thoughts._

“I am well aware that I am not a hero and I am not trying to be one. I want to do what’s right. The sooner we find out what is happening in the Capitol, the sooner we can – “

“I need to talk to Plutarch,” Haymitch announced abruptly. Effie raised her gaze to his, as her hands moved to fold the towel neatly before draping it at the back of a chair. “He’s lost his mind if he thinks he’s going to send you in like that. Hell, he probably _manipulated_ you into agreeing. You forgot that that’s his speciality?”

If the stricken expression on her face was anything to go by, he knew he had struck something and that she had never considered it.

“Yeah, I thought so,” Haymitch said smugly.

“Even if he did,” she touched his arm to stop him from moving. “ _I_ still believe that it will be the right thing to do.”

“That’s the problem, isn’t it?” he turned around to face her. “I can never draw the line… I can never really tell in others where Plutarch’s manipulation begins and ends. So I don’t know if you’re arguing with me right now because you honestly believe in it or because his powers are still at work here and it’s making you believe so.”

“Or perhaps, that’s your paranoia talking,” she narrowed her eyes. “I have to do this.”

“Damn it, Effie!” he exploded.

For a second, he could only hold his breath in horror. To him, time had somehow slowed down and he thought that this was it. He was going to kill her. She was going to die because of him.

His eyes were riveted to the table that just seconds ago, was bolted to the floor with screws but was now flying across the room, racing directly towards her.

Effie’s eyes widened in surprised. Then the edges of her form began to blur. He wanted to choke out a warning but the words caught in his throat. The table flew right into her and slammed into the wall.

Haymitch reacted. He lurched forward and grabbed her arms, now solid again.

“Shit,” he cursed. “Shit, Effs. I’m sorry. I’m – Are you hurt? I don’t know what the hell happened.”

“I do,” she stared at him, her pupils blown wide open. “You’ve just controlled matter with your mind. We all knew your powers will get there eventually.”

“Control?” he snorted. “That’s the last thing I have. I don’t – It just happened.”

“It happened because you were angry. Our abilities… They are often tied to our emotions and state of mind,” she explained, breathing in and out slowly to calm her racing heart. “Do it again for me, Haymitch.”

She meant to encourage him and provide a safe space for him to recreate it but Haymitch didn’t feel safe. He didn’t feel that it was safe _for_ her.

“I can’t,” he refused. “Listen to me, sweetheart. I’ll never hurt you. You need to understand that.”

“I know,” she nodded, running the pad of her thumb across his cheek soothingly. She brought her lips to his and kissed him gently. “It’s okay. It was an accident.”

XxX

"You can suppress Miss Everdeen’s memories of her sister," Coin stated after holding him back in Command once meeting had concluded. “Your gift is a gift of the mind.”

"I'm not going to do that," Haymitch shot back. "I ain't messing with anyone's memories."

Even if he _knew_ how to, he still wouldn’t. Never mind the fact that at this very moment, he did not have the slightest bit of knowledge on how to push and subdue someone’s memories. He could put thoughts in people’s hand and make them do what he needed them to do but even that felt wrong to him.

"The longer she stays in that hospital grieving over her sister, the longer Coriolanus Snow stays in power. It is the most logical option that will allow her to function. It will be a small mercy for her, and for anyone who wishes to forget,” Coin added but it was the tone in her voice, softer than usual and little bit more vulnerable that made Haymitch deduced the fact that Coin might have people she lost that was haunting her.

It was human to feel pain no matter who the person is and to Haymitch, it was not a weakness to ask for a way to stop the pain. But still… What she was suggesting was madness.

“No,” Haymitch spat.

He was acutely aware of Effie’s hand closing around this fist he had made under the table.

_You have to remain calm. We do not want another incident like earlier. Not in front of Coin._

Her voice washed over him and he released a breath, unfurling his fist as he did so. She took the opportunity to thread their fingers together and held on to it tight.

This was ridiculous, he thought. Holding hands under the table…But Effie had explained that children’s power was sometimes discovered through emotional outburst. They had chalked up the flying table to him being angry.

“Madame President, if I may?” Effie spoke up. “I would not recommend suppressing Katniss’ memories of her sister. There is no one she loves more than Prim and their relationship is the core of who she is and who she constantly strives to be. We cannot take that away from her.”

“Suppressed memories can be recalled, can it not?” Coin stared at them pointedly.

**_She’s insane. Memories are not things you put on shelves and pick out to look at leisure. It’ll destroy, Katniss. I want no part of this. If she pushes this, I’m taking Katniss out._ **

_Let me handle it, Haymitch. This is the safest place for you and Katniss to be now._

“That is not all,” Effie continued and the fact that she could keep a civil, amicable tone was a wonder to him. “As someone who oversees Haymitch’s training, there are pockets of untapped potential yet with him. It will be volatile to try something as risky as suppressing memories when he does not fully have control of his powers. It will take time for Haymitch to have total control before he could even attempt to interfere with anyone’s memories. By then, I am optimistic that Katniss will be able to handle more than she can now. Dr. Aurelius is going an amazing job with her and her friends are a pillar of support. I have seen progress but we need time.”

Haymitch tried not to wince during her speech.

If there was one thing he _needed_ and _valued_ , it was control. The circumstances of his childhood had made him feel helpless enough and especially so under Snow’s captivity. Needing to have control over every aspect of his life had become his defense, his armour to protect himself.

For years before Effie came around, the decision to not use and train his abilities was him exerting control over that part of his life, the cursed part.

Except now, he was starting to realise that by casting aside the powers he was born with, he was putting himself at a disadvantage. He was inadequate and that usually led to being helpless, which was the very thing he wanted to avoid.

How was he supposed to protect the people he vowed to protect?

His gaze flittered to Effie. She meant something to him. He wasn’t exactly sure what it was but she meant something to him as surely as Katniss was someone he cared about. The last thing he wanted was not being able to help them when they needed him.

 ** _Teach me to harness and control it,_** he floated the thought into her mind as they left Command. **_Everything that you think I am capable of as a telepath. Teach me._**

She turned to him with a smile on her face.

“Of course, I will,” she whispered, standing on tiptoe to kiss him. “I will do everything in my power to help you.”

It alarmed him that she would kiss him in the middle of the hallway but that worry soon melted away. He tugged her closer to deepen the kiss and if people saw them, then so be it.

When he opened his eyes, he noticed Plutarch leaving Command. He was always the last to leave and he wondered about the things Plutarch talked about with Coin in private but to glean the surface of Plutarch’s thought would be to risk discovery.

“I’ll see you later,” he told Effie and went after Plutarch. He grabbed the man by the elbow and pulled him into an empty corridor. “Stay out of Effie’s mind.”

If he was surprised by this, Plutarch did not show it. He merely chuckled and that only annoyed Haymitch further.

“Are you not bonded with her, Haymitch? I would have thought that you would be able to feel my intrusion in her mind, if there had been one in the first place, would you not?”

“What?”

Even if he really did mentally bond with her, he wouldn’t be in the position to really know how that works. He had never bonded with anyone before and there was not that many telepaths around to guide him in that sense.

“Haymitch, I did not manipulate her if that is what you are asking. _You_ will know if I’m trying to do it with you and likewise, with Effie. You spend so much time in her mind that you would be or rather, should be, able to feel me too if I ever tried to do anything to her.”

“That whole Seneca business…”

“It was something that came up during a discussion. She agreed to it, on her own free will. I did not make her. Be at ease, Haymitch,” he clapped his shoulder, “we are still trying to locate Seneca Crane.”

“I don’t want her anywhere near that man.”

“Why not we cross that bridge when my contacts locate him,” he smiled good-naturedly.

With that, Plutarch turned on his heels and walked down the corridor.

 

 


End file.
